BBQing like a True Canadian | Easy Boti Tikka Skewers

The onset of spring saw our rooftop open for the summer season and despite the freezing temperatures, we’ve been making it a point to dine upstairs. We’ve lucked out with some warm-ish days but for the most part, spring in Toronto seems to be non-existant this year. Case and point, yesterday it was hailing. And raining. And like the Canadians we are, we were bundled up as we tried to BBQ our dinner.

I wait for May 1st because it means that the hubs will take over the cooking duties, leaving me to only deal with a few dishes as I prep the meals. I love it. He grills while the kids run around and I’m usually on my phone trying to capture every angle of the sunset (expect plenty of CN tower pics on Instagram!).

Disclosure : I am part of the Gay Lea Ambassador Campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog, as always, are totally mine!

Last year I shared some of my favourite BBQ meals and this year I’m trying to be a bit healthy. I recently met with a naturopath who has requested that I cut back on my gluten and my dairy. Saying no to cheese is pretty much impossible so I’m trying to cut a few corners where I can. While I’m not a celiac and I’m not lactose intolerant, I do notice a difference during the weeks I cut back on my intake of items with gluten and dairy. So I was thrilled when I saw that Gay Lea has a Lactose free sour cream!!! I was shocked actually! I used to use yoghurt in my burgers and marinades but now I’ve swapped it for the thick, creamy lactose-free Gay Lea sour cream. I’m not sure what magic they have on their end, but I found it to be creamier than the regular version and just as delicious. It would work just as well with my Garlic Rosti!

Little Monkey and Baby Boy are on a burger kick and so I’ve been trying to sneak in the veggies into their burgers. You may recall that I used to use yoghurt instead of eggs or breadcrumbs in my burgers, well I’ve swapped the Gay Lea Lactose Free sour cream for yoghurt and it’s even juicier!

I’ve been on a “Boti” kick lately and so I thought I’d share my recipe with you. Boti is a general term (in Urdu and Hindi) used for whole muscle meat from leg or shank area. I mix in a few veggies and skewer the meats, calling it a light meal. This can easily be marinated FOR EVER in the freezer, making it an easy crowd pleaser for surprise BBQ sessions and dinners when I’m lazy to cook!

Recipe

In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup of Gay Lea sour cream, 4 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of  chilli powder. Add cubed steak (about 2 pounds for 8  to 10 skewers and ensure it’s grilling steak and not marinating steak. Also if it’s Leg steak it would be an authentic Boti but I wouldn’t worry too much about that, any grilling steak would do). Mix it all up and refrigerate. Allow it to marinate for 4 hours at a minimum but feel free to keep it in  your freezer for days and days (okay maybe 3 at a max)!

You may need to defrost the meat if you had it in the freezer for days. When you’re ready to cook (or your partner is!!), preheat the grill for medium high heat.  Thread cubes onto skewers and weave in your favourite grilled veggies. Place boti tikka on grill and cook for 10-12 minutes, rotating occasionally. Hopefully you aren’t wearing gloves to grill and eat like we were!

This is going to be on our BBQ menus for this summer and serving it with some naan, fresh onion, chutney, grilled pineapples and a hearty salad will win me a few friends ! A nice old fashioned or a Pinot Noir would pair well with it. Enjoy!