Chicken tikka

Preparation time 2 1/2 hours

Cooking time 20 minutes on one side

Level easy

Country of Origin India

 Chicken Tikka is a starter, very popular in the North Indian region. With the Indian population migrating to other parts of the world, indian cuisine too has witnessed a change. . It's very popular in Asian countries and some Middle Eastern Countries.

It's marinade is made of the tandoori masala and it's flavours are it's best when it's done on a coal Brazier. However now with modern kitchen equipment, it can be done in a microwave oven too. 

Tandoori masala can be made at home and stored in an airtight container and it remains fresh and aromatic up to two months.

Sharing my recipe:

Tandoori masala

• 1 tsp each:
• Coriander
• Cummin
• Garlic powder
• Ginger powder
• Fenugreek (dried )leaves
• Mace 
• Nutmeg
• Peppercorns

Dry roast, grind into a powder and store

Ingredients for tikka(use boneless pieces)750gms

First Marinade:.

Wash and dry pat chicken pieces

Rub salt, ginger and garlic paste and lemon juice. Keep aside for minimum 30 minutes

Note:Salt and lemon remove any smell

Salt seasons all the pieces evenly

Second Marinade:

•  1 cup  thick Yoghurt 
• 2-3 tsp tandoori masala
• Red chilly powder( Kashmiri chillies are milder)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
•  1 tsp Ginger and garlic paste
• 2,3 tsp hot mustard oil( for readers overseas use refined oil)
• Mix all the ingredients in yoghurt and rub over the chicken pieces and leave aside for at least 2 hours.

Dice onions  and capsicum  into pieces and cut tomatoes into rings.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees 

Take skewers and put one piece chicken , onion and capsicum, tomato slices and repeat (see image)

Arrange skewers on a baking tray and grill for 20 minutes and turn the skewers till done

You can also do it on a skillet over your gas stove.

This is a very good starter to serve with pre-dinner drinks

This is the way it's usually made.

However , sometimes we don't have all the ingredients or we don't have a microwave oven

Then I would say " friends don your thinking cap and innovate"