Chicken Tikka are small pieces of boneless chicken, marinated in spices and yogurt and grilled or baked in an oven or grill. While being done they are brushed with butter and marinade at regular intervals, which keeps it tender and moist. If you don’t have an oven, don’t fret, these can be shallow fried on a regular pan as well. Usually served as appetizers; but if you team it up with the Naans (recipe given below), they can be a full and satisfying main course too. I had a beef side-dish ready as well; but after having a couple of skewers of Chicken Tikka and Naan; laced with Hummous and Garlic Cream; nobody wanted anything else.
Do try these Tikkas.. they are really finger licking good; never mind the extra little work involved.
I used Chicken Breasts and grilled them in the oven in the auto-kebab mode.
Cut the Chicken Breasts into cubes, wash and pat dry. Use the following as a first marinade. (2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt, paprika or red chillie powder -1 tablespoon, 1 tablespoon of ginger paste, 1 tablespoon of garlic paste and 1 tablespoon of grated onion. Keep the chicken pieces in this marinade for 20-30 minutes).
{For the second marinade you need about ¼ cup of gram flour/besan; which is to be roasted. So take a small pan and add a tablespoon of oil and add a teaspoon of crushed carom seeds/ajwan, then add the ¼ cup of gram flour and roast it till it changes colour and emits a nutty flavor.}
Ingredients for 2nd Marinade as follows [1 cup thick curd, the ¼ cup of roasted gram-flour above, ½ teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon crushed carom seeds/ajwain, 1 heaped tablespoon ginger paste, 1 heaped tablespoon garlic paste, little salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon red chillie powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, orange food colour, ¼ tsp saffron strands dissolved in 1 tablespoon of milk, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon 5 spice powder, 1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi, orange food colour].
Mix the chicken in the 2nd marinade and keep aside covered with cling-wrap for sometime. I did mine the previous late evening – so they marinated for 6 hours plus.
Start grilling/baking them just before the meal, so you can have them piping hot…straight from the oven. Keep basting the tikkas with remaining marinade and butter every 10 minutes or so. I grilled them for 10 minutes on each side. When done brush with lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. I soaked onion rings in white vinegar and water for 10-15 minutes and served them along with the tikkas.
Naan :
These soft and fluffy Naans were a huge hit with the family. Once you make them, you are never gonna contemplate buying Naan from outside. Enjoy.
2 cups of Flour (Maida)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon oil
¾ cup yogurt
½ cup warm milk
Garlic butter (used Lurpak garlic butter)
Sift ingredients 1-5 in a big bowl. Add yogurt and oil and half of the milk and knead together. Add the remaining milk and knead for 5-7 minutes till you get a soft dough. If it is too sticky, sprinkle a little more dough and knead for sometime. You need to get a dough that is softer than chapatti dough. Keep in a warm place to rise for about 2-3 hours, covered with cling wrap.
After the dough has risen, roll into spheres (not too thin) and brush one side with water. Moisten it all over on one side only. (Naans are usually done in a hot clay oven; in the absence of which you can also use a Tava or an oven- I used a Tava). Put the wet side on to the hot Tava, which has been smeared with a thin film of oil, (wet side down on the pan). Cover with a dome shaped pan-lid. After 30 seconds you will note bubbles formed on the surface…. Turn it over and with the help of tongs, put the uncooked side onto a direct slow flame or alternately you can just cook on the tava till its cooked. Brush immediately with garlic butter and serve hot from Pan to Plate. Best eaten hot and immediately after it is done.
