Cooking is traveling without ever leaving your house.
Exciting, daunting. Stumbling without direction. Colorful and messy. Frustration. But then realization and discovery, reward and enjoyment.
No more so, than into the land of spices – India.
I’ve been eager to delve into the adventure of real Indian cooking. I’ve tried cooking some simple Indian dishes at home, but I haven’t reached beyond that. It’s overwhelming staring down the long list of steps and unfamiliar ingredients in most Indian dishes.
What did not help is that Indian food is all over Malaysia. It’s delicious and cheap. When I crave Indian food, I eat out.
A week ago, I decided enough is enough. I parked myself in the kitchen until I emerged with an Indian dish that tasted as good as all the spices in it smelled. The result – Chicken Tikka.
Ready to give Indian cooking a try? To get started, play a Bollywood song. It will put you in the perfect mood to start mixing spices.
Chicken Tikka
Ingredients
- 3 pieces approx. 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces or cubes
- 2/3 cup natural yogurt
- 4 cloves garlic diced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste or puree
- 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
- 1 inch fresh ginger minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander diced
- Red bell pepper cut into bite-size pieces
- 6-8 skewers if you use bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent burning
Spices:
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp curry powder I used a pre-mix of chili, cardamom, star anise, cloves, fennel seeds
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric – to add a yellowish-orange hue optional
Instructions
Day One or Morning:
- In a large bowl, combine the spices, yogurt, garlic, tomato paste, lime juice, and ginger.
- Add the chicken pieces to the mixture and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate overnight or at least a few hours.
Day Two or Afternoon:
- Alternating between chicken and red bell pepper pieces, thread onto skewers and remove excess marinade. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place skewers on top.
- Brush the chicken pieces with butter, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper to taste, and add diced coriander on all sides.
- Broil the chicken skewers for 10 minutes, flip over, and broil for another 10 minutes until golden brown. Timing will depend on your oven’s broiling temperature and the size of the chicken pieces used.
- Serve hot with a tortilla or flat bread, sour cream or yogurt, and a refreshing salad.