Baking is a language I never imagined I would speak. As a first-generation British child growing up in a lively, colourful Bangladeshi home, bursting at the seams with delicious exotic food, we cooked everything, we ate everything; you name it, we ate it. But we didn’t bake. We did stove-top cooking and reserved the oven space for storing frying pans and suchlike. The oven knob was untouched, never turned. It lay unused.
Now I love baking, and not just cakes: my latest book is full of savoury recipes, too, and ideas for every kind of day – straightforward, delicious and achievable recipes that let the oven do the work.
Like this chicken shashlik.
This is a meal that my dad served up at his restaurant all day, every day – probably one of the most popular dishes. So, I’ve decided to make my own version. It has tender spiced chicken and roasted veg, all served up with a naan. I don’t have a tandoor as he would have in the restaurant, but we do have an oven, and with that, a good brine and a decent marinade, we can make the same thing.
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Recipe: Nadiya Hussain’s chicken shashlik
Nadiya Hussain is a TV chef, author and broadcaster. She is on Instagram. Her latest book Nadiya’s Everyday Baking (Penguin Michael Joseph) is out now.
