Lamb suya

The secret ingredient to a good suya skewer? Peanut powder! It’s worth tracking down for the uniquely West African flavour it adds to these famous skewers.

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb neck, diced (or another fatty cut of lamb)
• Salt
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• Thinly shaved cabbage, mixed salad leaves, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, to serve
• ½ lemon, juiced, plus wedges to serve

For the suya spice mix 

• ¾ cup peanut powder (see Note)
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tbsp chicken stock powder

Marinating time: 24 hours (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the suya spice mix. In a large bowl, combine the lamb, a generous pinch of salt, half the suya spice mix and the olive oil. Mix well to combine. You can marinate this overnight, if you like, or grill straight away.
2. Thread the lamb onto wooden or metal skewers, alternating fattier pieces with more lean ones. Heat a barbecue or chargrill plate over medium heat, then grill the skewers, turning occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. While the lamb is cooking, in a large bowl, combine the vegetables to serve and dress well with olive oil and lemon juice. Toss lightly to combine.
4. Divide the vegetables and skewers between plates. Sprinkle the salad and skewers liberally with the remaining suya spice mix. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Note

Peanut powder can be a tricky ingredient to find but is worth tracking down. You can sometimes find Asian grocers selling Taiwanese peanut powder, or some supermarkets will sell powdered peanut butter as a high-protein add-in for smoothies.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.