Goat Sekuwa – Nepali Charcoal-Grilled Goat

You’ve been traveling through eastern Nepal, where the flatlands gradually give way to green foothills and winding mountain roads. From Dharan, the road begins climbing toward the eastern hills, passing terraced fields, forested slopes, scattered villages, and streams tumbling down from the mountains.

Late in the afternoon, your driver pulls over at a small roadside stop where smoke is drifting across the road.

A man is crouched beside a long charcoal grill, turning rows of metal skewers over glowing coals. The smell of wood smoke, mustard oil, ginger, garlic, and chile makes it immediately obvious why you stopped.

You walk over for a closer look.

Chunks of goat have been marinating for hours in mustard oil, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chile, and crushed timur—the small Himalayan peppercorn that gives Nepali food a distinctive citrusy, slightly numbing bite. Some cooks also add yogurt and lemon to help tenderize the meat.

The goat is threaded onto long skewers and laid directly above the charcoal. As the fat and marinade drip onto the coals, little bursts of smoke rise back around the meat. The cook continually turns the skewers until the goat is browned and lightly charred on the edges but still juicy inside.

This is sekuwa, Nepal’s smoky answer to barbecue. Although it can be made with buffalo, pork, chicken, lamb, or goat, sekuwa is particularly associated with the roadside grills and food culture of eastern Nepal around Dharan.

The cook slides the hot goat from the skewers onto a metal plate and adds a pile of chiura—crisp, flattened rice—along with sliced onion, lemon, green chile, and a spoonful of spicy tomato achar.

You eat beside the road as another bus winds its way into the hills above you, the charcoal still glowing and another row of goat skewers already going onto the fire.

Goat Sekuwa

Nepali Charcoal-Grilled Goat

Serves 5–6

Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless young goat, preferably leg, cut into 1½-inch cubes

• ½ cup plain full-fat yogurt

• ¼ cup food-grade mustard oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated

• 6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed into a paste

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1–1½ teaspoons red chile powder, to taste

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 1 teaspoon crushed timur

• ½ teaspoon lightly toasted and crushed fenugreek seeds, optional

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Nepal Tourism Board's sekuwa recipe uses yogurt, mustard oil, ginger-garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chile, garam masala, lemon and salt before the meat is grilled directly over charcoal. Timur and fenugreek are common additions in other Nepali preparations.

What Is Timur?

Timur is a Himalayan spice related to Sichuan pepper.

It isn't especially hot. Instead, it has a citrusy, floral flavor followed by a mild tingling or numbing sensation on the tongue.

Look for Nepali timur at a Nepali or Himalayan grocery store.

If you can't find it, use:

• Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed, or

• ½ teaspoon crushed Sichuan pepper mixed with a little finely grated lemon zest.

Timur is one of the flavors that can make the sekuwa taste distinctly Nepali rather than simply like a South Asian kebab.

Prepare the Goat

Trim away any large pieces of tough connective tissue, but don't remove every bit of fat. A little fat helps keep the goat juicy over the charcoal.

Cut the meat into roughly 1½-inch cubes so the pieces cook at approximately the same rate.

Place the goat in a large bowl.

Make the Marinade

Add the yogurt, mustard oil, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chile powder, garam masala, timur, fenugreek if using, salt, lemon juice, and cilantro.

Mix thoroughly with your hands until every piece of goat is well coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Overnight is even better.

Traditional sekuwa marinades vary considerably from cook to cook, but several hours of marinating before charcoal grilling is typical.

Prepare the Skewers

Metal skewers are ideal.

If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

Thread the goat onto the skewers, leaving a small amount of space between the pieces so the hot air and smoke can circulate around the meat.

Don't pack the cubes tightly together.

Prepare the Charcoal Grill

Sekuwa is at its best over charcoal or a wood fire.

Light the charcoal and allow it to burn until you have a bed of glowing coals with very little active flame.

Set up a moderately hot grilling area.

You want enough heat to brown the goat but not so much that the yogurt and spices burn before the center cooks.

Grill the Sekuwa

Place the skewers over the hot coals.

Grill for approximately 12–18 minutes, turning every few minutes so the goat browns evenly.

Lightly brush the meat with a little mustard oil during cooking if it begins looking dry.

The outside should develop dark, smoky edges and small areas of char while the meat stays juicy inside.

Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the cubes and the heat of the charcoal, so cook until the goat is safely cooked through rather than relying only on the clock.

The Nepal Tourism Board preparation likewise calls for skewered marinated meat to be cooked directly over charcoal and basted with oil to prevent drying.

Don't Have a Charcoal Grill?

You can still make a good version in the oven.

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Place the skewers on a rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast for about 15–20 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Then switch the oven to broil for the final 2–4 minutes, turning the skewers as necessary to develop some charred edges.

It won't have quite the same wood-smoke flavor as traditional sekuwa, but the high heat will reproduce much of the browned exterior.

Optional Fenugreek-Mustard Oil Finish

For an extra layer of Nepali flavor, heat 1 tablespoon mustard oil in a small skillet.

Add ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds.

Let them fry until they become dark brown and fragrant, then immediately remove the pan from the heat.

Drizzle a small amount of the fragrant oil over the freshly grilled sekuwa.

This finishing technique is used in some Nepali sekuwa preparations.

To Serve

Serve Goat Sekuwa hot from the charcoal grill with:

• chiura – Nepali beaten or flattened rice

• sliced red or white onion

• fresh cucumber

• lemon wedges

• fresh green chiles

• tomato achar or another spicy Nepali pickle

Chiura is especially traditional with sekuwa. Its dry, crisp texture catches the spicy meat juices while tomato achar, onion, chile, and lemon provide a bright contrast to the smoky goat. Sekuwa is commonly served with beaten or puffed rice, salad, and pickles in Nepal.

The finished sekuwa should be smoky, spicy and slightly charred rather than saucy—with mustard oil, ginger, garlic, chile, and that citrusy tingle of timur clinging to every piece of goat.