Chicken Tikka (Murgh Tikka)

This is a famous chicken appetizer from Indian cuisine. ‘Chicken tikka’ is made of soft boneless chicken bits marinated in spicy, creamy and tangy marinade and cooked till smoky and tender. This dish is loved by all. So get goin with this recipe prepare the same mouthwatering tikkas you have in restaurants. Happy Cooking!

Ingredients:
500 gms boneless, skinned chicken breast,
1 tsp salt,
Juice of 1/2 a lemon,
1/2 tsp. tandoori color or a few drops of red food coloring mixed with 1 tbsp. tomato puree,
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped,
1/2-inch cube of root ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped,
1/4 of a whole nutmeg, finely grated,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
3/4 tsp. chili powder,
1/2 tsp garam masala,
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped,
150 gms thick yogurt,
4 tbsp vegetable oil.

Method:
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Put the rest of the ingredients into an blender or grinder and blend until smooth. Put this marinade into a sieve and hold the sieve over the chicken pieces. Press the marinade through the sieve with the back of a metal spoon until only a very coarse mixture is left.
Coat the chicken thoroughly with the sieved marinade. Cover the container and leave to marinate for 6-8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 230 degrees C/450 degrees. Place an aluminum foil in a roasting tin (this will help to maintain the high level of temperature required to cook the chicken quickly without drying it out).

Arrange the chicken onto skewers, leaving around 1/4-inch gap between each piece (this is necessary for the heat to reach all sides of the chicken).

Place the skewers in the prepared roasting tin and brush with some of the remaining marinade. Cook in the center of the oven for 6-8 minutes.

Take the tin out of the oven, turn the skewers over and brush the pieces of chicken with the remaining marinade. Return the tin to the oven and cook for a further 6-8 minutes.

Shake off any excess liquid from the chicken. Place the skewers on a serving dish. You may take the tikka off the skewers if you wish, but allow the meat to cool slightly before removing from the skewers
 

TIP:
Any excess liquid from the Chicken Tikka could be kept aside to be used as tikka masala.

Minal

Minal is a designer, mother, cook, dancer, enthusiast and a creative soul. She is the founder of foodatarian.com.