Marinating Mastery: Tips & Tricks for Crafting the Perfect Tandoori Kebab Marinade

A mouth-watering kebab starts with a flavoursome marinade. It tenderises the surface of the kebab while infusing it with extra flavour. As tempting as it may be to buy packaged marinades off the shelf if you care about your health, you must throw them out of your pantry and make your marinades at home. Believe us, they are much easier to prepare than we thought. There are numerous benefits we have understood over the years about why you should be creating your marinade at home, and we are sure you will agree too.

Freshness

When you make your marinade, you have control over the freshness and quality of the ingredients. Pre-packaged marinades often contain preservatives and additives to prolong their shelf life, which may compromise the flavour and quality of the final product. Making your marinades at home allows you to use fresh herbs, spices, and ingredients, creating a riot of colours in a bowl.

Customisation

If you prepare the marinade at home, you have the freedom to customise it according to your taste and preferences. You can adjust the flavours, spices, and seasonings to suit your liking, which is not possible with pre-packaged marinades that come in predetermined flavours.

Health and Dietary Considerations

Mixing your marinades allows you to control the ingredients used, and you can factor in specific dietary restrictions or preferences. You can choose to use healthier ingredients, reduce sodium content, or avoid allergens and artificial additives. You have all the flexibility to cater to your individual needs and dietary goals.

Cost-effectiveness

Making your marinade can often be more cost-effective compared to buying pre-packaged options, as most of the marinade ingredients are pantry staples like vinegar, oils, spices, and herbs, which are generally more affordable when purchased separately. By DIYing, you can make larger quantities of marinade at a lower cost, especially if you frequently marinate your food.

Culinary Creativity

If you decide to prepare your marinade at home, you can put your chef hat on and get as creative as you like. You can play around with different flavour combinations, ingredients, and techniques to create exciting marinades that tantalise your taste buds.

Creating a delicious marinade can enhance the flavour and tenderness of your tandoori kebabs. If making those delectable homemade tandoori kebabs is on the menu, here are some tips to help you make the best marinade:

Balance the flavours

Aim for a combination of sweet, savoury, acidic, and salty elements in your marinade to create a well-rounded traditional tandoori kebab flavour profile.
Borosil Tip: Experiment with ingredients like soy sauce, honey, citrus juices, vinegar, herbs, spices, and aromatics.

Acidic components

Acidic ingredients like citrus juices, vinegar, or wine helps tenderise the protein by breaking down its fibres and adding a tangy flavour.
Borosil Tip: Use lemon juice, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, or red wine.

Sweet elements

Adding sweetness to your marinade can balance out the acidity and enhance the overall taste.
Borosil Tip: Use ingredients like honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or fruit juices to provide a touch of sweetness.

Oil-based components

Adding oil to your marinade helps lock in moisture, prevent sticking, and promote even cooking. Olive oil, sesame oil, or other flavoured oils can add depth and richness to the marinade.

Salt, Spices, and Aromatics

Don't forget to season your marinade for authentic Indian kebabs with salt and pepper. These basic seasonings can enhance the flavours of your ingredients. Herbs, spices, and aromatics can add complexity and depth to your marinade.
Borosil Tip: Consider ingredients like garlic, ginger, onions, fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil), spices (cumin, paprika, chilli powder), or even chilli peppers for heat.

Marinating time

The duration of marinating depends on the type and size of the protein. Delicate fish and seafood may require only 15-30 minutes, while chicken or meat can benefit from marinating for several hours or even overnight.
Borosil Tip: Avoid marinating for too long as the texture may become mushy.

Proper marinating technique

Ensure the marinade reaches all parts of the protein by tossing or stirring it occasionally. Use a non-reactive container such as glass, ceramic, or stainless steel for marinating.
Borosil Tip: Avoid aluminium or copper containers as they can react with acidic ingredients.

Reserve some marinade

Before adding the protein to the marinade, set aside a small portion to use as a basting sauce while grilling or roasting. This helps add extra flavour and moisture during the cooking process.

Experiment and personalise

Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients and ratios to suit your taste preferences.
Borosil Tip: Some of our favourites to experiment with are Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, yoghurt, buttermilk, mustard, or even beer to create unique flavour profiles.

Now that we've shared the tips you need to prepare those flavourful tandoori marinades, in honour of kebab day, read along to find our secret tandoori kebab recipe that will make all plates empty in no time.

Ingredients you need for the marinade:
4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
750 grams of protein (meat, tofu, cottage cheese, etc)
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt or hung curd
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cardamom crushed
¼ tsp cinnamon crushed
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp fresh ginger grated
1 garlic clove peeled and grated
1 lemon - juiced

1. Take a small bowl and add 3 teaspoons of Kashmiri chilli powder. Add salt and oil. Mix the ingredients well. Take another large bowl and add the protein pieces to it. Add the red chilli paste and coat the pieces in it. Take a bowl and add yoghurt to it. Then add all the powdered spices, ginger, and garlic. Give it a mix. Pour the yoghurt mixture over the protein pieces and coat them. Marinate the protein for at least two hours.

2. Take the marinated pieces and start threading them on the skewers using tandoori kebab skewering methods.



3. Preheat the oven to 218°C. Place the skewers on a baking sheet and bake the kebabs for 5-8 minutes per side. Turn the oven to broil mode and broil the kebabs until they are lightly charred. Once cooked through, remove them from the oven, sprinkle some lemon juice, and serve the perfectly grilled tandoori kebabs.

And thus, we have fully equipped you with all that you need to enjoy your evenings and have a happy kebab-ing experience!