Shish Kebab with North African Seasonings

Name: Shish Kebab with North African Seasonings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Africa
Ingredients: 1½ teaspoons paprika; 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus a little dish of cumin for sprinkling on the cooked meat; ½ red onion, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares; 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice; 1½ pounds lean beef (such as sirloin or tenderloin); 1½ teaspoons ground coriander; 1 tablespoon capers; 1 large ripe tomato, cut into ½-inch dice (with juices); 6 pita breads; 2 stalks celery, cut into ½-inch dice; 1 green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
30 min

Appears in

Healthy Jewish Cooking

By Steven Raichlen

Published 2000

About

It’s a scene that’s as old as Judaism itself: beef or lamb flavored with cumin and garlic, cooked on a spit or skewer over a campfire. Grilling wasn’t really part of my Ashkenazic heritage, but in North Africa and the Middle East, it’s one of the preferred ways to cook and socialize. Variations on a theme of kebab can be found in Jewish communities from Casablanca to Cochin.