CHICKEN TIKKA : THIS IS BEST FOOD

 Chicken tikka is a popular Indian dish made with marinated chicken pieces that are traditionally grilled on skewers. The chicken is marinated in a mixture of yogurt and spices, such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, and chili powder, which gives it a flavorful and slightly spicy taste.

To make chicken tikka, boneless chicken is cut into bite-sized pieces and then marinated in the spice mixture for a few hours, or overnight, to allow the flavors to develop. The chicken pieces are then threaded onto skewers and grilled in a tandoor oven or on a grill until they are cooked through and slightly charred.

Chicken tikka is often served as an appetizer or starter, and can be accompanied by a variety of sauces and dips, such as mint chutney or tamarind chutney. It can also be served as a main dish, with rice, naan bread, or other Indian side dishes.

What is chicken tikka?

The traditional dish consists of small pieces of marinated chicken, threaded onto skewers and grilled. Unlike a chicken tikka masala, this tikka dish is more like a tandoori — so no sauce!

So what are the key rules for making the perfect chicken tikka? 

1) Don't skip the lemon and salt! The beauty of this dish is how tender the meat is. Before we marinade, we rub the chicken pieces in lemon and salt and let it rest for 20min. This tenderises the meat and makes it gorgeous and light once cooked.  

2) Marinade it properly. You should marinate this chicken for at LEAST four hours, ideally overnight. It needs to let alllll that flavour soak up. 

3) Soak them skewers! Yes... please make sure you allow your wooden skewers to soak for around 15min, this stops them from burning.  

4) Invest in your spices. There might seem like a lot of spices here, but if you're cooking a lot of Indian cuisine at home, you should invest in a spice tin, or a Masala Dabba as they're traditionally called. These spice tins usually contain 7-9 pots where you can store the most commonly used, for you to open up whenever you want.  

What do I serve with chicken tikka? 

Serve your chicken tikka with a portion of pilau rice, alongside some homemade naans. If you're putting on a feast to remember, try whipping together a cucumber raita, or making your own vegetable samosas. 

Ingredients

• 3 

  skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2.5cm pieces

• 1 1/2 tsp. 

  salt

• 1 1/2 tbsp. 

  lemon juice

• 3 tsp. 

  ginger, peeled and grated 

• 2 

  cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tsp. 

  ground cumin 

• 1 tsp. 

  paprika 

• 1 tsp. 

  garam masala 

• 3 tbsp. 

  oil

• 1/2 tsp. 

  cayenne

• 5 tbsp. 

  Greek yoghurt

• 4 

  wooden skewers, soaked in water for 15min to stop burning

• Pilau rice, to serve 

• Naan bread, to serve 

• Directions

  • 1. Step 1In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with lemon juice and salt. Rub in, cover and refrigerate for 20minutes. This step helps the meat to tenderise, resulting in juicier, chicken pieces.
    2. Step 2In another bowl, combine ginger, garlic, cumin, paprika, garam masala, cayenne and yogurt. Add in chicken pieces and mix well. Refrigerate for  minimum 4 hours but ideally overnight.
    3. Step 3To cook, preheat the grill to highest setting. Thread the meat onto wooden skewers and brush with oil.  Put the skewers on a shallow baking tray and grill for approx 6 minutes each side until browned and cooked through.
    4. Step 4Serve with pilau rice and naan.