Grilled Chicken Tikka
Marinated in the afternoon, grilled in twenty minutes. The main course when the table already has enough fried food on it.
Why it works for Iftar
- It is a substantial grilled main that avoids the extra oil of deep frying.
- The marinade does its work while you are busy, so the evening cooking is short.
- Yoghurt in the marinade tenderises the meat and keeps it from drying out under high heat.
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless chicken thighcut into 4 cm pieces
- 200 g plain yoghurtthick
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tbsp gingergrated
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp paprikafor colour
- 1 tsp red chilli powderadjust to taste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 lemonto serve
- 1 red onionsliced into rings, to serve
Method
- 1Make the marinade10 min
Whisk together the yoghurt, 2 tbsp lemon juice, garlic, ginger, 2 tbsp oil, 1.5 tsp salt and all the ground spices in a large bowl.
- 2Marinate5 min
Add the chicken and turn until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; 4 to 6 hours is better. Do not go beyond 12 hours or the lemon starts to break down the texture.
- 3Heat and thread5 min
Heat a grill, griddle pan or oven to its highest setting. Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving a small gap between pieces so the heat gets all round.
- 4Cook18 min
Grill for 16 to 18 minutes, turning every 4 minutes, until charred at the edges and cooked through. The juices should run clear and the thickest piece should reach 75 °C.
- 5Rest and serve2 min
Rest for 2 minutes, then serve with lemon wedges, raw onion rings and naan or rice.
Notes that make the difference
- Thigh, not breast. Breast dries out under grill heat; thigh stays moist.
- Leave gaps on the skewer. Packed tightly, the pieces steam instead of charring.
Storing and reheating
Marinated raw chicken keeps 24 hours refrigerated or 1 month frozen. Cooked tikka keeps 2 days.
Substitutions
- Paneer tikka: use 600 g paneer and 2 peppers, and grill for 8 to 10 minutes only.
- Oven method: 220 °C for 20 to 22 minutes on a rack over a tray.
Cooking times assume a standard domestic hob and oven and will vary with your equipment. No nutritional figures are given: calculating them reliably needs the exact brand and weight of every ingredient, and an invented number would be worse than none. If you are managing a health condition, follow your doctor’s dietary advice.
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