Chicken sosaties, apricot & curry
Sosaties are Cape Malay heritage — the sweet-and-curry marinade goes back centuries. Thigh meat, never breast, and the overnight marinade is not optional.
Sosaties are Cape Malay heritage — the sweet-and-curry marinade goes back centuries. Thigh meat, never breast, and the overnight marinade is not optional.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg chicken thighs, cut in chunks
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp mild curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 125 ml smooth apricot jam
- 60 ml vinegar
- Salt
- Dried apricots & onion wedges, for the skewers
Method
- Soften the onion in oil. Add curry powder, turmeric and garlic and fry for a minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the jam and vinegar, simmer for 2 minutes, season, and cool completely.
- Marinate the chicken in it overnight in the fridge.
- Thread onto skewers (soak wooden ones for 30 minutes first), alternating chicken, dried apricot and onion.
- Braai over medium coals for 12–15 minutes, turning often and basting with the leftover marinade — stop basting a few minutes before the end so it cooks through.
Engineer's view
Read left to right: ingredients merge into steps, steps merge into supper.
| Ingredient | Process → | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onion 1, chopped | Soften in oil | Fry spices 1 min → stir in jam & vinegar → simmer 2 min → season → cool completely | Marinate overnight in the fridge | Medium coals · 12–15 min · turn & baste (stop basting near the end) |
| Oil 2 tbsp | ||||
| Curry, turmeric & garlic 2 tbsp / 1 tsp / 2 cloves | Add | |||
| Apricot jam & vinegar 125 ml / 60 ml | ||||
| Chicken thighs 1.2 kg | Cut into chunks | |||
| Dried apricots & onion wedges | Thread: chicken · apricot · onion · repeat (soak wooden skewers 30 min) | |||
| Skewers ×12 | ||||
Which fire, and which day? Medium coals, the 8-second hand test. Hold your palm at grid height and count: 4 seconds is hot, 6 is hot-medium, 8 is medium, 10 or more is gentle. The full reading is the hand test, and the wood that makes those coals is in the wood guide. Buying notes: chicken thighs. Thursday 24 September is National Braai Day. Part of the Braai Day menu pack.
Questions the fire actually gets
Chicken breast or thigh for sosaties?
Thigh. Breast dries out over coals. Cut thigh meat into chunks and marinate it overnight — the overnight step is not optional.
What heat and how long for chicken sosaties?
Medium coals, the 8-second hand test, 12–15 minutes, turning often and basting with the leftover marinade. Stop basting a few minutes before the end so the baste cooks through. Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes first.
When do I start sosaties for Braai Day?
The day before. The marinade is onion, mild curry powder, turmeric, garlic, apricot jam and vinegar, cooled completely before the chicken goes in. On the day they share the 8-second fire with the wors.
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