Chicken Tikka is a chicken barbecue marinated in yogurt and spices, a signature dish of North Indian cuisine and now popular the world over. This is my home version of this highly addictive dish.
Most of the spices you'll need to make Chicken Tikka are now easily available at most large supermarkets such as Shopwise or SM or Robinson's. When Cat and I have time, though, we drive to Little India in Paco and buy at Uncle Ed's or Assad's.
INGREDIENTS
1 pack chicken thigh fillets
1 cup yogurt
3 cardamom pods
3 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic paste (fresh garlic pounded or processed into paste)
1 tsp ginger paste (fresh ginger pounded or processed into paste)
1 tbsp brown sugar
cayenne pepper*, cloves, cinnamon and salt to taste
calamansi or lemon for serving
*you may also use hot sauce
PROCEDURE:
Shell the cardamom pods and grind fine with all the other spices. Combine with the yogurt. Marinade the chicken in this mixture for at least an hour.
Grill the chicken until cooked through. I usually do this in my turbo broiler (charcoal though is so much tastier!). Give the chicken about 30-40 mins under about 325 F, then a final 10 mins under 450 F, or until you get a nice crisp crust of marinade on the chicken. For vegetable I also like to roast some peeled white onions and whole tomatoes with the chicken -- they absorb the aromas, and they taste so good mooshed into your rice!
Serve with a squeeze of calamansi or lemon.