Chicken tikka is a popular Indian dish made by marinating boneless chicken in a blend of spices and cooking it on skewers in a tandoori clay oven. It can be served with coriander chutney or cucumber raita and can be made with lamb, fish, or paneer for vegetarians.
Chicken tikka is an Indian dish similar in taste to tandoori chicken. Tikka is a Persian word for “fragments”, describing the preparation of this famous Indian cuisine. Most South Asian and Indian subcontinents claim its creation, but most agree that it originated in Punjab. Punjab is a region located in East Pakistan and North West India.
As with most Indian foods, chicken tikka is a complimentary rich blend of spices. The marinated boneless chicken pieces are put on skewers and cooked in hot tandoori clay ovens. The tandoori ovens give it a unique, barbecued taste. Many chefs replace specialty ovens with a grill or broiler. In this case, the spices need to be adjusted by adding more heat.
To prepare the recipe, the chicken is first cut into small bite-sized pieces. Next, it is marinated in a sauce of yoghurt, Indian spices and lemon or lime juice. Spices can include cayenne, cumin, coriander, garam masala spice, ginger and turmeric. Marinating usually lasts 4 to 24 hours. Next, the chicken kebabs are cooked, grilled or grilled. In exchange for Garam Masala Spice, you can substitute a combination of coriander, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, black pepper, paprika, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and nutmeg.
Many chicken tikka recipes especially in western culture have added a masala to the chicken tikka as a gravy. A masala refers to any combination of complementary Indian spices, garlic and cayenne pepper, usually sauteed in ghee and then creamed with a base of tomato, coconut milk or cream. Any combination of these ingredients can be used based on your taste preferences. Modern chefs often color the dish with orange or red food coloring. Traditionally, the colors originated from turmeric for orange and cayenne and paprika for red.
Variations of the tikka dish include substituting lamb or fish. Vegetarians can enjoy this dish by using paneer instead of chicken. Paneer is an Indian cheese, made by boiling whole milk and curdled with lemon juice. The curds are then hung to remove moisture and refrigerated. It can be cut into small pieces and marinated as with chicken.
Chicken tikka is a celebratory dish often prepared for special occasions. It is often served with coriander chutney if the chicken has been lightly spiced. If the dish has hotter spice, a cucumber raita will cool the palate.
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