Licence to grill

Fancy a barbecue on your terrace or garden? We list a few essentials

Winter is that time of the year when a day out in the sun with friends is always a great idea. Or even during the chilly nights, getting together with friends and food is on most people's agenda. And what can make it better? A barbecue.

While some people might find it easier to order in kebabs and curries from the neighbourhood eating joints, it sounds too conventional. The best way to enjoy the weather and food is to have your own barbecue. We list down a few items which you must have for your own do-it-yourself (DIY) barbecue:

Barbecue grills

The first thing you need for a barbecue is a good functional grill. Cooking and kitchen appliances company Prestige offers a very basic and useful grill. Prestige's barbecue grill is easy to assemble and comes with foldable legs. It has an air damper and a warming rack, and one can easily carry it whereever you want. Priced at Rs 2,395, it is ideal for those who are looking for quick and not-so-elaborate barbecues.

Weber's barbecue grill comes with rust-proof aluminium vents that provide airflow for proper grilling. It also comes with a high capacity removable ash catcher and triple-plated hinged cooking grate. The brand claims that is extremely easy to clean. Priced at Rs 19,995, it is available at crockery stores or online shopping portals.

Skewer sets and other accessories
Once you've zeroed in on the grills, the next item is to get a skewer set to meet your grilling and barbecue needs. Weber's skewer set consists of four pieces measuring 15 inches each. It has a ring to help push food off the skewer. Price: Rs 2,795

If you're looking for something elaborate then the kebab set is perhaps the ideal item for your barbecue. It's a tool which comes with six skewers and a heavy-duty plated steel racks for cooking kebabs. Be it seekh, reshmi or any other kebabs, they can easily be grilled and cooked on the kebab set. It is priced at Rs 4,995.

A grilling basket is another item which should be on your DIY barbecue set of accessories. Usually, these grills are made of stainless steel and come with non-stick coating. One can cook vegetables, fish, chicken on this grill. Several brands have grilling baskets in the price range of Rs 2,500-Rs 5,000.

Any cooking done on barbecue is incomplete without a basting brush. A basting brush is generally made of silicone bristles and is designed to hold maximum amount of sauce without unnecessary drips and spills. These brushes are priced between the range of Rs 899-1,399.

Cleaning items
Once the barbecue party is over, the not-so-pleasing act of cleaning comes. Unlike other parties, you need special equipment to clean up a barbecue. A three-sided grill brush shaped like a triangle helps you to clean between the cooking grates and in tight spaces at the edges of the grilling surface. These brushes are priced under Rs 1,000.

Recipe
Barbecue mutton squares

Take one kilo of boneless mutton cut into one-inch squares. Take a teaspoon of coriander powder, cumin powder and chilli powder. Add a bit more salt than "to taste". Add a pinch of tenderiser. If you don't have tenderiser, grind a square inch of green papaya and add it to the meat. Don't use too much of tenderiser or papaya to prevent the meat losing its texture. Add four teaspoon of cooking oil and mix everything in a bowl. Leave aside for two hours. Skewer the meat pieces and on a hot barbecue, cook them for around eight minutes, turning them around regularly so they cook evenly. Don't let the skewered meat linger too long in the heat to avoid overcooking. The meat should be tender, juicy and great for a conversation around the barbie.