How To Make Chicken Tikka

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 kilo (2 lbs.) chicken breasts - cut into bite sized pieces (tikka)

FOR THE FIRST MARINADE

Juice of two lemons or limes

2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste

1 tsp salt

FOR THE SECOND MARINADE

250ml (1 cup) plain yogurt

1 tbsp cream cheese or grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste)

1 tsp citric acid powder or amchoor (dried mango powder)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

2 green chillies finely chopped (optional)

1 bunch of coriander leaves finely chopped (optional)

FOR BASTING

3 tbsp melted ghee (optional)

Directions

Place the chicken tikka in a large bowl and add the garlic and ginger paste. Squeeze the lemon/lime juice over the top and sprinkle with a little salt. Rub this all right into the flesh and set aside while you prepare the second marinade.

Whisk the yoghurt and cheese, if using until smooth. Then add the remaining marinade ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour this marinade over the chicken and really rub it into the flesh of the chicken.

Allow to marinaded for 30 minutes or up to 48 hours - the longer the better. If you don't have time to marinate the chicken, you can go straight to cooking but the longer marination time will benefit the flavour and texture.

When ready to cook, light a barbecue. Gas barbecues will work but I prefer the flavour of charcoal barbecues.

You are ready to grill when you can hold your hand two inches above the grill without it being unbearably hot.

Skewer the chicken if cooking on a barbecue. You want to weave the chicken onto the skewers and not just stick it through. This will ensure that the chicken tikka turns when you turn the skewers. Rub any excess marinade off the chicken before placing over the fire.

Cook the chicken tikka on the skewers turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are blackened. This should take about 10 minutes. As the chicken is almost cooked through, baste it with the melted ghee, if using. Please do use it as your chiicken tikka will be better. You can substitute butter if you don't have ghee.

Season with salt to taste if needed and serve immediately with a good chutney or add it to our curry house style curries or wraps.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 262
• Total Fat: 17 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 2 mg
• Sodium: 3156 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 23 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 13 g
• Protein: 5 g