Pakistani Chicken Tikka
Yield: 4
Equipment
- 8 short metal skewers1
Ingredients
- Corn oil or any other neutral oil
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into small cube-like pieces
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili pepper
- 1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
- 1/2 tsp zeera (cumin powder)
- 1/2 tsp dhania (dried coriander powder)
- 1 tsp minced garlic (or garlic paste; available in jar)
- 1 tsp minced ginger (or ginger paste; available in jar)
- 1/4 cup whole natural yogurt (for marinade)
- 1 cup greek-style yogurt
- a mix of fresh herbs -tarragon, coriander, chives, mint- whatever you find at your farmer's market or in your grocery store
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin
- 2 fresh limes, quartered
Instructions
- Cut your chicken into small cubes (approximately 1in)
- Add salt, haldi, chili, zeera powder, dhania powder, garlic, ginger and yogurt and mix well
- Allow the chicken to rest in the marinade for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight. The yogurt serves to tenderize the chicken.
- Prepare your herbed yogurt by chopping all the herbs and mixing then in with the yogurt with a pinch of salt.
- When ready to prepare the chicken brochette, bring the chicken to room temperature and pre-heat your broiler.
- Thread chicken onto 8 skewers (shaking the excess yogurt off as it will burn in the oven), and place on a tray lined with foil.
- Drizzle some oil on top. Turn the skewers over and repeat; ensure they are coated well with oil.
- Place directly under the broiler in your oven.
- Each side will take approximately 5-7 minutes to cook, depending on the intensity of your broiler.
- Once the first side is done, carefully flip the brochette.
- Allow the other side to broil now.
- Remove from the oven and serve with herbed yogurt, slices of heirloom tomatoes, lime wedges and naan.
Notes
1. If you do not have these, you can use wooden or bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water overnight so they don't burn when they are under the broiler.