Sekuwa

Method

1. Pour the mustard oil into a small pan and warm it on medium heat for 1 min, until the surface shimmers and the first wisp of smoke appears, then take it off the heat and let it cool. Heating it once tames the sharp raw pungency of mustard oil and makes it nutty.

   Add in this stepMustard oil 1½ tbsp

   medium heat

2. Cut the pork into 3 cm cubes, leaving a little fat on; it keeps the meat juicy. Grate or finely chop the garlic and ginger and coarsely crush the timur in a mortar. Put the pork, garlic, ginger, all the spices, lemon juice, salt and the cooled oil into a bowl and massage with your hands for 2 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 h, ideally overnight.

   Add in this stepPork shoulder (with a little fat) 300 gGarlic cloves 4Fresh ginger 10 gGround cumin 1 tspGround coriander 1 tspGround turmeric ½ tspChilli powder 1 tspTimur (Nepali Sichuan pepper; or Sichuan pepper) ½ tspGaram masala ½ tspLemon juice 1½ tbspSalt 1 tsp

3. Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes so they do not burn. Thread 5 to 6 pieces of meat onto each, just touching, to make 4 skewers. Packed too tightly, the meat will not cook evenly.

4. Heat a 26 cm grill pan on medium-high heat until it smokes, lay in the skewers and cook for 12 min per batch, turning every 2 to 3 minutes. They are done when the edges are charred and the thickest piece shows no pink juices when cut (71 °C in the centre). Those charred spots are the heart of sekuwa, so do not keep moving them.

   medium-high heat

5. While they cook, thinly slice the red onion, slice the green chillies on the diagonal, roughly chop the coriander and cut the cucumber into sticks. Heap the chiura on a plate.

   Add in this stepRed onion 1Green chillies 2Coriander leaves (cilantro) 10 gCucumber 1Chiura (beaten rice, poha) 60 g

6. Slide the meat off the skewers onto a plate and toss with the onion, chillies and coriander. Serve hot with the chiura and cucumber.