Australia’s Curry Guy and his way with a BBQ

Ross Dobson’s grilled sweet potatoes with avocado chutney. (Photo: Supplied)

By TGIFood Contributors

3 Feb 2023

Australian food writer Ross Dobson knows a thing or two about cooking with fire, and in his new book Firepit Barbecue he tailors his recipes to creating great meals on a firepit with a simple grill or hotplate, in the Australian barbie tradition.

Cooking over fire has played a big part in my life. I have so many fantastic memories of get-togethers with family and friends, standing around a campfire or barbecue and cooking up a feast. There are few things better than bringing together a group of people to enjoy delicious food.

My earlier cookbooks all feature a barbecue section, but I wanted to take things further and include recipes that you might not have considered for a weekend barbecue, which is why I decided to write this book.

When most people think of a barbecue, they picture a kettle-style barbecue that can be used for both indirect and direct heat cooking. If you have one, you will be able to make the majority of the recipes in this book but I have also included recipes that go beyond the standard barbecue set-up; these recipes can most often be tailored to the barbecue you have or a campfire.

Nowadays, it’s easy to forget that in the not-so-distant past, all cooking was done either over fire outdoors or with a wood- fuelled oven indoors. I can still remember going to my great-grandmother’s house and watching her light up her wood-burning stove to cook dinner. What was once a daily chore for our ancestors is now something we look forward to as a weekend activity.

I mention this because everything you can cook inside in a modern kitchen can be cooked outside, too. Cooking outdoors with wood or charcoal can be a lot of fun and personally I think the food tastes better as well. That’s right… curries, tandoori recipes and even fried and steamed foods taste better when cooked over a live fire, just as they are all over the Indian subcontinent and at restaurants and food stalls here in the West.

I have been so inspired by street-food vendors and chefs who have opened their kitchens to me, both in the UK and abroad.

Watching them cook roasts, skewered meats, paneer, vegetables and even frying over a log or charcoal fire made me want to do this at home. Knowing that many readers of my cookbooks like a good curry-house-style curry, I’ve included a section on cooking these on the barbecue.

Ross Dobson in his element. (Photo: Supplied)

At my house, we barbecue year-round. Even our Christmas turkey is cooked on the barbecue, regardless of the weather, and these recipes are far too good to be seasonal! For this reason, I have provided cooking temperatures where possible, as well as the internal temperatures you should be aiming for (after all, barbecuing is all about cooking to temperature, not time), which can be followed whether you are cooking outside on the barbecue or inside using an oven.

It was important to me that these recipes remain simple and authentic to their origins. At times this was tricky. Burying a whole chicken wrapped in banana leaves in a pit of red-hot charcoal to cook for a couple of hours isn’t something most people are going to be able to try. Recipes that are traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven would be of little use to those who don’t have one. With this in mind I have kept the recipes simple and without the need to dig any holes or run out to purchase a tandoor.

If you have any questions about the recipes in this book, please get in touch through my social media channels. Getting to know the people who read my books is one of the things I enjoy most about writing them. I’m @TheCurryGuy on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and I’d love to hear from you. You might also like to join my Facebook group, Curry Chit Chaat. It’s a great community and I’m almost always on hand to answer questions.

Tandoori roast chicken

Ross Dobson’s tandoori roast chicken. (Photo: Supplied)

(Serves 4)

This recipe is a little different to most tandoori chicken recipes you’ll find out there. First of all, I leave the chicken skin on just as I did in the beer can chicken recipe in The Curry Guy Easy. Why? Because crispy chicken skin is so good! Then I simply use my go-to tandoori marinade. It’s like the one you find in those jars at the shop, but better. I also don’t use the yoghurt that usually goes into a tandoori marinade as it isn’t needed when cooking chicken like this. Butterflying the bird gets a faster, more even cook with juicier results. It’s an excellent marinade for chicken tikka too, with or without yoghurt.

Prep time: 15 minds, plus marinating time

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1.5 kg whole chicken

70ml (¼ cup) melted ghee mixed with 1 tsp salt

For the Tandoori marinade

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp ground coriander

1 Tbsp tandoori masala

1 Tbsp garam masala

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1 Tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste, or mild paprika)

2 Tbsp garlic, ginger and chilli paste

1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp salt

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp distilled white vinegar 4 Tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil

Method

Place the chicken in an upright sitting position on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice down between the breasts to butterfly. Many people remove the backbone to butterfly chicken rather than doing it in this way, but I find that the chicken lies flatter when cooking if you slice between the breasts. Lay the chicken on the cutting board breast side up and press down hard all over to flatten.

Next, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients, adding just enough water to make a smooth paste – about 3 tablespoons.

I usually slide a couple of fingers under the skin all over the breasts, legs and thighs so that I can rub the meat with the marinade as well as the skin on top. This really gets the flavour into the chicken. Rub the marinade all over the chicken and under the skin if you like, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

When ready to cook, set up your barbecue for indirect heat roasting (see page 9). Your target temperature is 250°C (480°F) or thereabouts. If using a normal kettle barbecue, be sure to place a drip tray with a little water in it on the cooler side opposite the coals. This isn’t necessary if using a ceramic barbecue.

Place the butterflied chicken breast side up on the side of the barbecue without any coals and cook until the internal temperature is 75°C (165°F). This should take 45-60 minutes. Baste the chicken from time to time with the melted ghee until it is all used up.

I recommend serving this with masala garlic fries or karahi naans. This tandoori chicken is also so good teamed with green chutney.

Note: It is up to you how much chopped green chilli you add to your garlic and ginger paste; if you like plenty of heat, don’t hold back!

Tandoori grilled calamari with fresh mango chutney

(Main image)

(Serves 6)

This is most definitely beach grub! When I light up a grill by the sea, I like to cook seafood and lots of it. This grilled calamari recipe is really easy to whip up and can be enjoyed right off the skewer. I suggest getting a few plates, though, as the mango chutney with its savoury, sweet, spicy and sour flavours is the perfect accompaniment. Soaking the squid in milk overnight makes it really tender. Make this charred squid, pop open some wine and enjoy.

Prep time: 15 mins, plus marinating time

Cooking time: 12 mins

Ingredients

1 kg baby squid, cleaned and soaked in milk overnight

125 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil

3 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced

1 Tbsp garlic and ginger paste

1 Tbsp tandoori masala

1 tsp dried red chilli flakes

2 Tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)

5 lemons, thinly sliced

30 fresh lime leaves (or bay leaves)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the chutney:

1 mango, finely diced

1 red (bell) pepper, finely chopped

½ red onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 green bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped (more or less to taste)

1 Tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)

Juice of 1 lime

Method

Rinse the milk off the squid and slice the bodies in half widthways. Put the bodies and tentacles into a mixing bowl and add the oil, spring onions (scallions), garlic and ginger paste, tandoori masala, chilli flakes, coriander (cilantro) and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.

Now prepare the fresh mango chutney. Put all the ingredients into a bowl, season and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust by adding more chillies, salt or pepper.

When ready to cook, prepare a direct heat fire. When the coals are white-hot and it is uncomfortable to hold your hand at cooking height for more than 2 seconds, you’re ready to cook.

Thread the squid, lemon slices and lime leaves onto skewers, alternating so that each piece of squid gets a bit of lemon and lime flavour. Reserve any leftover marinade. Grill the skewers over a high heat for 6 minutes on one side, then rotate to cook the other side until the squid is completely cooked through and nicely charred. This should take a further 5-6 minutes. Be sure to baste with the reserved marinade from time to time. Serve hot with the fresh mango chutney.

Grilled sweet potatoes with avocado chutney

Ross Dobson’s grilled sweet potatoes with avocado chutney. (Photo: Supplied)

(Serves 4)

Vegetarian food in India is always delicious, sometimes exciting and never boring. This is a filling and healthy main dish made with grilled sweet potatoes, which is also delicious as a starter. The avocado chutney is the perfect accompaniment for this quick and easy dish.

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 12 x 1.25cm (½ inch) rounds

1 tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for brushing

6 shallots, roughly chopped

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 generous Tbsp finely chopped ginger

10 fresh or frozen curry leaves

2 Tbsp melted butter or ghee

Salt to taste

For the avocado chutney:

1 avocado, diced

4 shallots, finely chopped

3 green bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped

1 tomato, deseeded and diced

Juice of ½ lemon

Flaky sea salt, to taste

Method

First make the avocado chutney. Put all the ingredients into a small bowl, season with salt and stir to combine. Cover and put in the fridge until ready to serve.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and parboil the sweet potato slices for about 5 minutes, until about 90% cooked. There should still be a bit of resistance when pricked with a fork. Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer to a plate to cool.

Put the coconut oil, shallots, chilli powder, turmeric, tamarind paste, ginger and curry leaves into a blender or food processor and blend to a thick paste. Season to taste with salt.

Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, cover them completely with the marinade paste and set to one side while you fire up the grill.

When the coals are white-hot and it is uncomfortable to hold your hand 5cm (2in) above the grill for more than 2 seconds, you’re ready to cook.

Lightly brush the grill with oil and then place the sweet potatoes on the grill. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until dark grill marks appear on the underside of the sweet potatoes, and then flip them over to grill the other side. Brush each slice with melted butter or ghee and season with salt to taste. To serve, place the grilled sweet potatoes onto plates and top with the avocado chutney. DM/TGIFood

From Firepit Barbecue by Ross Dobson (Murdoch Books)

Photography by Alan Benson, Nicky Ryan and Brett Stevens

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