Sosaties with Apricot & Tamarind Glaze
South African lamb kebabs threaded onto skewers with onion and apricot, glazed with sweet-sour tamarind sauce. Grilled until caramelized and tender, served with warm pita and chutney.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried apricots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup hot water
- 1.5 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- 1
Place the dried apricots in a small bowl and pour 0.5 cup of hot water over them; let them sit for 10 minutes until they soften and absorb the water.
- 2
Pat the lamb cubes dry with paper towels, pressing gently on all sides to remove moisture, which helps them brown better.
- 3
Mince the fresh ginger until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 4
In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon of ground cumin and 0.5 teaspoon of ground coriander until evenly mixed.
- 5
Pour the softened apricots and their soaking water into a blender or food processor, then add 2 tablespoons of tamarind paste, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- 6
Blend until the mixture is completely smooth with no visible apricot chunks, about 1 minute of continuous blending; pour into a small bowl.
- 7
Soak 8 wooden skewers in cold water for 20 minutes, then remove them and place on a clean cutting board.
- 8
Thread a piece of red onion onto the first wooden skewer, pushing it toward the blunt end; follow with a lamb cube, another onion piece, and repeat until the skewer has 4 lamb cubes and 4 onion pieces, ending with onion near the tip.
- 9
Repeat step 8 with the remaining 7 skewers and lamb and onion pieces so all skewers are equally loaded.
- 10
In a small bowl, combine the minced ginger with the cumin and coriander mixture, stirring until no dry spice remains visible.
- 11
Rub the spice mixture over all sides of the meat on each skewer, coating it evenly; set the skewers aside on a plate.
- 12
Heat an outdoor grill or a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat (about 400°F), waiting until flames appear around charcoal or the skillet surface shimmers when you tilt the pan.
- 13
Place the lamb skewers directly over the grill heat or in the hot skillet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each skewer so heat reaches all sides.
- 14
Cook for 3 minutes without moving them, until the bottom surface turns dark golden brown with a slight char visible at the edges.
- 15
Turn each skewer 90 degrees using tongs and cook for 3 more minutes, again without moving, until that new side is dark golden brown.
- 16
Turn each skewer 90 degrees again and cook for 3 more minutes, repeating the same dark golden brown result on the third side.
- 17
Turn each skewer to its final side and cook for 2 more minutes, until all four sides are caramelized and the lamb reaches medium doneness when you cut into the thickest cube.
- 18
Brush the apricot-tamarind glaze onto the meat on all sides of each skewer using a pastry brush, coating it generously.
- 19
Cook for 1 more minute without moving, until the glaze caramelizes and becomes sticky and glossy on the meat.
- 20
Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving, so the juices settle into the meat.
Tools you’ll need
- wooden skewers (8)
- small bowl
- blender or food processor
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- large cast iron skillet or outdoor grill
- kitchen tongs
- pastry brush
- paper towels
- serving platter
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