Anmol BBQ grills up kebabs influenced by South Asian cuisines
CHICAGO (WLS) -- As we get closer to barbecue and grilling season, our Hungry Hound is looking to the Southern part of Asia for inspiration this week.
He says there's a place on Devon Avenue in West Rogers Park where the grill gets a workout pretty much all day long. The menu isn't all necessarily Indian either, despite its location.
Anmol Barbecue has a location in Milwaukee, but they're also on Devon, and despite that location, there is more to the menu than just the usual Indian stereotypes.
There are influences from Pakistan, Malaysia, Afghanistan, even Burma. So when you think grilling this season, you might need to change your approach somewhat.
The kebabs are made each day at Anmol Barbecue, along a busy stretch of Devon Avenue. Skewered onto metal rods as large as swords, they are grilled until charred, often brushed with some extra sauce to enhance their flavors. They dominate a menu that has some familiar Indian dishes, but a lot of items from other countries as well.
"We try to cover all of the different cuisines of the South Asian continent, so that covers Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Burma, Nepal, Malaysia," said Owner Mohammad Arif Patel.
There are tikka kebabs - on the bone - and boti, or boneless ones, too. What the Turks or Lebanese might call kefta kebabs are assembled the same way here: ground chicken or beef is hand-formed around the skewer, then grilled until charred.
"They're more Afghani-style kebabs, and what that means basically they're more concentrated on the meat flavors and the meat juices, rather than relying on spices and seasoning," he said.
"First we sear on a really high flame and then we sit on a lower flame. And that ensures juices in the meat stay inside."
One of Patel's ingenious creations is a mango-habanero sauce, which gives the chicken skewers an unmistakable balance of sweet and heat. Freshly-made naan is an excellent vehicle for sopping up juices, but also as a companion to any one of the rich, bracing curries, like this intensely flavored mutton with yogurt.
"That is called a Peshlawari Karhai curry, that is something we just released on our menu," he said.
Mutton, incidentally, is a mature sheep, as opposed to lamb, which is a sheep less than a year old. Cooked and garnished with fresh ginger and cilantro, it's an excellent way to dive into a menu with nooks and crannies you may have never seen at other stops along Devon.
"That is inspired by Northwestern Pakistan. This is the way karhais are made in the mountains of Pakistan," said Patel.
Anmol BBQ
2858 W. Devon Ave.
773-508-5050
