About this Dish
Central Asia's definitive skewered meat — chunks of lamb marinated in onion juice and spices, threaded on flat skewers and grilled over saxaul wood charcoal. The onion juice marinade tenderises the lamb without masking its flavour. Eaten in chaikhanas (teahouses) throughout Uzbekistan with non (flatbread) and fresh vegetables. The Silk Road's most enduring street food.
IngredientsServes 4
🐑Bone-in lamb shoulder or leg, 1kg cut into 3–4cm chunks
🧅White onions, 4 large, grated or very finely processed
🧂Fine sea salt, 1.5 tsp
🌶️Ground cumin (zira), 1.5 tsp
🫙Ground coriander, 1 tsp
⚫Freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp
🌿Dried chilli flakes, ½ tsp
🧅Extra onion rings and fresh tomatoes, for serving
🍞Non flatbread or warm pitta, to serve
Method
1
Place the grated onion into a clean muslin cloth or tea towel and squeeze firmly over a large bowl to extract as much juice as possible — this liquid is your tenderising marinade, so don't skip this step. Discard the pulp.2
Add the lamb chunks to the onion juice along with the salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and chilli flakes. Mix thoroughly with your hands so every piece is well coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.3
When ready to cook, remove the lamb from the fridge 30 minutes before grilling to take the chill off. Thread the pieces tightly onto flat metal skewers, pressing the meat together so it stays compact — flat skewers prevent the meat spinning and help it cook evenly.4
Prepare a charcoal grill with a good bed of glowing white-hot coals and no visible flames. Lay the skewers across the grill close to the heat, turning every 2–3 minutes for a total of 10–14 minutes until the outside is deeply charred in places but the inside stays juicy and slightly pink.5
While the shashlik grills, slide some raw onion rings onto a clean skewer and briefly char them over the coals for a minute each side until just softened and smoky.6
To serve, use a piece of flatbread to slide the meat off the skewer directly onto a plate or the bread itself. Pile the charred onions alongside, add sliced fresh tomatoes, and tear the non or pitta to scoop everything up. Eat immediately while the meat is still sizzling.7
Slide the meat off the skewers onto a board lined with non flatbread, which absorbs all the lovely juices. Serve immediately with sliced raw onion rinsed in cold water, fresh tomatoes, and a sprinkle of sumac.User Reviews
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