Chicken tikka is an addictive, classic dish for lunch or dinner where the chicken marinated in aromatic spices is first grilled and then covered in a finger-licking sauce or tikka masala. This is a popular chicken dish around the world.
Marinated chicken pieces in an Indian spice mix are grilled to perfection in a tandoor or oven or barbecue and then tossed in a spicy gravy or curry called masala.
People believe that it was invented in the 1970s by a Bangladeshi chef in Glasgow, Scotland, who, in order to please a customer, added a mild tomato-cream sauce to his chicken tikka, which is pieces of boneless chicken marinated in yoghurt and curry spices and served on a skewer, kebab-style.
This week, skip the takeaway and jazz up your lunch or dinner with this delicious, flavourful, and authentic chicken tikka recipe. You can serve this with naan or rice, and pappadums for an awesome, flavour-packed meal.
Skewered barbecued chicken
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
750g boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into large cubes
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, sliced
2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
60g plain yoghurt
1 tsp salt
Method
Soak 8-12 bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from burning during cooking.
Put the onion, garlic and garlic, and ginger into a food processor and process to a puree, adding the lemon juice if required. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the coriander, cumin, garam masala, yoghurt, and salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Leave to marinate for 2 hours at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.
Thread the chicken pieces onto the bamboo skewers and cook over glowing coals or under a preheated grill until cooked through. Serve with onion sambal and puris or chapatis.