Chicken Tikka
Chicken marinated twice, first in lemon and ginger garlic, then in spiced curd and roasted besan, and charred on a hot grill pan.
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to check it off as you prep.
Cooking steps
Squeeze the lemon to yield about 1 tablespoon of juice.
Combine the chicken pieces with the lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Mix well and set aside to marinate for about 1 hour.
Heat a saucepan over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Add the ajwain seeds and let them splutter for a few seconds. Reduce the flame, add the gram flour, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour is roasted and fragrant. Switch off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
Add the curd, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, and the cooled gram flour mixture to the marinated chicken. Mix thoroughly until all the spices coat the chicken evenly.
Rest the spiced chicken in the refrigerator for one more hour.
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and grease it lightly with oil. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto wooden skewers.
Lay the skewers on the greased pan and cook on all sides, turning as needed, until the chicken is charred on the outside and cooked through. Remove from the heat and serve hot.
Chicken Tikka
- Roast the besan until it smells nutty, then let it cool completely before it meets the curd. Hot besan curdles curd and you get a grainy coat instead of a smooth one.
- Two rests, not one. The first hour is the lemon and ginger garlic tenderising; the second is the spiced curd setting onto the meat so it does not slide off the skewer.
- Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes first. Dry ones scorch on a grill pan and can splinter into the meat.
- Hung curd for regular: drain it in muslin for 20 minutes. A thicker coat clings better and drips less.
- Paneer or mushroom: same marinade, no first rest needed, three to four minutes a side.
- Oven instead of a grill pan: 220C for 15 to 18 minutes, turning once. You lose the char and gain not standing over a pan.
- Cooked tikka keeps 2 days refrigerated. Reheat in a hot dry pan rather than a microwave, or the coating goes soft.
- The marinated raw chicken keeps 24 hours in the fridge and freezes for a month. Thaw overnight before grilling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make chicken tikka in the oven?
Yes. Bake at 220C for 15 to 18 minutes, turning once. You lose the char from the pan, so give the skewers a minute on a very hot tawa at the end if you want it.
Can I make it without a grill pan?
Yes. Any heavy pan works, or an oven at 220C. A ridged grill pan is only what gives the stripes.
Do I need a tandoor for the smoky flavour?
No. Sit a small bowl in the finished tikka, drop in a lit coal, add a few drops of ghee and cover for two minutes.
How long can I marinate chicken tikka?
The recipe uses two one-hour rests. You can leave the spiced chicken in the fridge for up to 24 hours, which deepens the flavour, but not longer, because the curd and lemon start to turn the meat soft.
Why did my coating fall off?
Usually too wet a marinade or a skipped second rest. The besan and thick curd are what bind it, so give it the full hour in the fridge before it goes on the skewer.
