Fiji's Indian-diaspora barbecue tradition marinates chicken and lamb in garam masala, soy sauce, garlic and ginger before grilling it at roadside stands and the island's ubiquitous fundraiser BBQ stalls, where it is boxed with cassava, roti or chop suey as a 'BBQ pack'. Skewered versions of the same masala meat appear at resort grills, carrying South Asian kebab seasoning into a Pacific barbecue format.
Also known as: Fiji BBQ, Indo-Fijian barbecue, masala BBQ chicken, fundraiser BBQ pack
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 400 g chicken thigh, 3 cm cubes
- 400 g lamb shoulder, 3 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp grated ginger and 4 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- roti or cassava, to serve
- cucumber-tomato salad with lemon
How to make it
- 1
Mix the garam masala, soy, ginger, garlic, oil, chili and salt into the Indo-Fijian double marinade and coat both meats 4 hours.
- 2
Thread chicken and lamb on separate skewers since they finish at different moments.
- 3
Barbecue over medium-hot coals, lamb 12 minutes and chicken 10, turning when the masala crust releases freely from the grill.
- 4
Watch the soy-masala coat: it should darken to mahogany in the last few minutes, not before.
- 5
Serve BBQ-pack style, heaped together with warm roti or boiled cassava and the lemony salad.
Pro tip: Garam masala plus soy is the Fijian diaspora handshake — but soy scorches, so keep a cooler zone and finish the skewers there once they take color.
The story of Fijian BBQ pack skewers
Fiji's Indian-diaspora barbecue tradition marinates chicken and lamb in garam masala, soy sauce, garlic and ginger before grilling it at roadside stands and the island's ubiquitous fundraiser BBQ stalls, where it is boxed with cassava, roti or chop suey as a BBQ pack.
It carries South Asian kebab seasoning into a Pacific barbecue format, and the fusion is unmistakably local: the soy sauce comes from Fiji's Chinese-Fijian influence, the cassava from the indigenous iTaukei diet, and the masala from the Indo-Fijian community descended from indentured labourers. The BBQ pack is one of the clearest edible expressions of Fiji's population.
The technique that defines it
Soy sauce alongside garam masala is the fusion point and it works better than it sounds: soy provides salt and glutamate that a traditional Indian marinade gets from other sources, and it browns aggressively on the grill. The trade-off is that it burns, so the fire must stay moderate.
The BBQ pack format shapes the cooking. Everything is grilled to be boxed and eaten twenty minutes later, so the meat is cooked slightly less aggressively than it would be for immediate eating and it is kept in larger pieces that hold heat and moisture.
Choosing your ingredients
Chicken thigh or lamb in generous pieces. Garam masala, turmeric, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and often a little sugar or honey. Marinate for several hours or overnight.
Cassava, boiled, is the standard starch in a BBQ pack, alongside roti and sometimes chop suey noodles. A chilli sauce or a fresh chilli-and-lime relish on the side. Bamboo skewers, soaked, for the skewered version.
Mistakes that ruin it
A hot fire
Soy sauce and sugar in the marinade burn quickly. Moderate heat and turning.
Small pieces for a BBQ pack
The box is eaten later. Larger pieces hold heat and moisture through the wait.
Over-salting
Soy sauce already supplies a great deal of salt. Season the rest of the marinade accordingly.
Skipping the cassava
It is the local starch and what makes the pack Fijian rather than generically Indian.
How it is served
In a takeaway box with cassava, roti and sometimes chop suey, from a fundraiser stall or a roadside stand. Chilli sauce on the side. Fundraiser BBQs are a genuine Fijian institution — church, school and village — and the pack is what they sell.
Questions about Fijian BBQ pack skewers
What is a BBQ pack?
A Fijian takeaway box of grilled marinated meat with cassava, roti and sometimes chop suey, sold at roadside stands and fundraiser stalls.
Why soy sauce in an Indian marinade?
Fiji's Chinese-Fijian influence. Combined with garam masala it gives a fusion that is specifically Fijian rather than South Asian.
What meat is used?
Chicken thigh or lamb, in generous pieces so they hold heat and moisture in a takeaway box.
Why is the fire kept moderate?
Soy sauce and any added sugar burn quickly. Moderate heat with frequent turning prevents it.
