Topic: Chicken Tikka The Real Deal

[samson]

I've tried quite a few different Chicken Tikka Recipes over the year's from the inedible to the good but i aways found myself questioning the recipe normally because of the over powering taste(as in harshness)of the spice or that unwanted vinegar taste from paste. This is for me the best chicken I've made and that has the right balance of taste. I got a list of ingredients off someone at a place where i eat and i have improvised the amounts and added the lemon dressing and water to thin the mix out feel i have found what I've been trying to achieve. He did say for the garam massala they do there own but i used the packet garam massala by east end. Please if you try this recipe for the first time can you try to follow the amounts as I've written. Just because I'd like to here what people on here think....


                     Chicken Tikka

600gram Chicken Breast Large Chunks
3 Tablespoon of Lemon Dressing(I use Pride Lemon Dressing)
3 Tablespoon or 2 Heaped Tablespoon yogurt(Greek from asian supermarket)
3 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil (I use Pride Vegetable Oil)
1 Teaspoon(or just under) of Garlic/Ginger Paste(50/50 Fresh Garlic & Ginger Blended)
1 Teaspoon of Mint(Colman?s)
1 Teaspoon of Garam Massala
1/2 Teaspoon of Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Turmeric
3 Fresh Chilli's Chopped Fine & De-seeded(Small Green Chilli's)
2 or 3 Tablespoon of Water(Just to thin the mix out)



Mix the 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Dressing to the Chicken half an hour before adding to the rest of the mix. In a mixing bowl mix the rest of the ingredients together and give a good stir then add the chicken to the to the mix. Leave covered in the fridge and the mix will be ready to use 5 hours later right up to 24 hours. I grilled this under an electric grill on full, turning each side as needed.

[Razor]

Hi Lee,

I'm guessing that the ? are 0.5's or half tsp?  For some reason, I don't think that halves written as a fraction, is supported by the sites software, although I'm sure it has been?

Back to the recipe, interesting.  Quite minimal, as you said on a previous thread.  The Garam Masala will be the tricky one with this recipe unless, you are specifying the East End brand.  Garam Masala's vary immensely from brand to brand, and so, the resultant tikkas would vary too.  I also noticed, no food colouring.  It's not important to flavour at all but out of interest, what colour DO they turn out?

Will give this a test run, along side my own during the week, and report back.

Many thanks Lee,

Ray

[samson]

Hi Lee,

I'm guessing that the ? are 0.5's or half tsp?  For some reason, I don't think that halves written as a fraction, is supported by the sites software, although I'm sure it has been?

Back to the recipe, interesting.  Quite minimal, as you said on a previous thread.  The Garam Masala will be the tricky one with this recipe unless, you are specifying the East End brand.  Garam Masala's vary immensely from brand to brand, and so, the resultant tikkas would vary too.  I also noticed, no food colouring.  It's not important to flavour at all but out of interest, what colour DO they turn out?

Will give this a test run, along side my own during the week, and report back.

Many thanks Lee,

Ray

Cheers for pointing the half out just change the ? symbol to 1/2. I've noticed tesco's stocking the East End brand. A different brand or homemade garam massala could make the tikka better than the tikka i've made, it's just i've tried doing my own garam massala but found myself questioning the quality too many times,lol but i do avoid the garam massala in the raja brand.

[Razor]

i do avoid the garam massala in the raja brand.

And guess what brand of GM I have in the cupboard, damn

What is it that puts you off Rajah GM or do you not like the Rajah brand as a whole?

Garam Masala is a funny beast at the best of times.  I hear a lot of accounts of BIR's and TA's making their own but that in itself always baffles me as to why they would.  The thing with BIR's and TA's is the shortcuts that they take and yet still, for the most part, knock out a pretty good dish.

Roasting and grinding them whole spices must be a right ball ache for them!

Ray

[Panpot]

East End brand is used in The Ashoka for what it is worth. Without adding coloring what colour do they come out at Samson? PP

[Peripatetic Phil]

I've tried quite a few different Chicken Tikka Recipes over the year's from the inedible to the good but i aways found myself questioning the recipe normally because of the over powering taste(as in harshness)of the spice or that unwanted vinegar taste from paste.

I can certainly go along with that : that was exactly the impression I got from my own attempts, and from those of well-intentioned friends (even those who were otherwise excellent chefs).  Finally last year I managed to produce both a tandoori chicken and a chicken tikka that avoided these traps, and we served them at a barbeque : they were extremely well received !  I will now have to compare your recipe and methodology with mine, to see how they differ.

** Phil.

[dellydel]

Hi,

Really surprised at the lack of tandori masala, for me 2 tbsp of the stuff is critical! Have you experimented with it and dismissed it?

Del

[samson]

East End brand is used in The Ashoka for what it is worth. Without adding coloring what colour do they come out at Samson? PP

 

With this recipe i all i got was a list of ten ingredients and to a kwik verbal run through of the amounts of some of the ingredients on there, so i broke down the amounts down on the back of other chicken tikka's i have made and added the lemon dressing and water to thin the mix out and my first attempt was spot on so i left the recipe alone. Regarding the colour i think they add more turmeric because there chicken tikka seems to have more yellow in it but the recipe i have posted is faultless so I've left it as it is...

[samson]

Hi,

Really surprised at the lack of tandori masala, for me 2 tbsp of the stuff is critical! Have you experimented with it and dismissed it?

Del

No i've not tried adding tandoori massala, I'd make the recipe as it is for your first attempt and on your second attempt add what you feel is needed to suit your taste but i wouldn't add 2 tablespoons of tandoori massala it seems way too over powering for my liking. Maybe try 1 teaspoon again if that's the taste your after . 

[Stephen Lindsay]

Samson have you seen this post?

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5055.0