Topic: One from the vaults ...

[Ian S.]

Hi guys

I've tried many tikka marinades over the years. This is the one I keep coming back to, time and time again. I know that it's all about personal preference and trying to recreate the taste of your own favourite takeaway and so on, but this just does it for me. It's buried right at the bottom of the tikka recipe board, and was posted by Pete back in 2005 when I first joined. I still have the original print-out that I ran off in my 'curry folder'.

It's easy to overlook some of the recipes that were posted here way back when, especially as there's so much info on the site now. This didn't get much of a take-up when it was first posted, and I haven't seen anything since (correct me if I've missed something).

Here's the link: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=352.0

I'd be interested to find out if anyone's tried it and hasn't posted, or if anyone fancies trying it now and reporting back. If you make tikka/tandoori, you'll have everything you need for it in your cupboards already.

I halve the ingredients and use five or six chicken breasts. I use half a pot of 500g Tesco 'Smart Price' natural low fat yoghurt. The rest of the pot freezes with no problem to use the next time (in a marinade, that is - I wouldn't want to eat it with a spoon!).

The recipe states an 8 hour marinade, which is fine, but I get the best results by giving it 48 hours. I either grill the chicken on skewers or bake it on the highest heat in my oven for 10 mins or so, finishing it off with a blowtorch to dry the surface and char it a bit.

Cheers
Ian
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[mr.mojorisin]

might give this a go as I love tikka
currently using Blades which to me is outstanding
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=874.0

[Ian S.]

Hi Mr. M

Yes, I've tried Blade's recipe too, and it's excellent. Do you add yoghurt, as some people have since, or do you do it as he originally posted (without)?

I've tried it both ways. I cooked a batch of chicken legs with Blade's recipe (without yoghurt) and took them to a picnic on my birthday this year. They went down a storm.

Cheers,
Ian
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[976bar]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for posting you're recipe, alas I have never got on with Tikka marinated in yogurt, I don't know what it is but it just doesn't gell with me... but as everyone says, each to their own and if they enjoy it this way then that is fine

I have always used Blade's recipe, but with a few slight changes as below. I have tried all sorts of Tikka recipes here but this is my favourite.

Ingredients
600g Chicken - 4 or 5 breasts
1 heaped tablespoon Pataks tikka curry paste. (Not tikka masala paste).
1 heaped tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice (Jiff is ok)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 desert spoon spice mixture (10ml) see below.
1/4 tsp Orange food colouring (If powder just a sprinkle)
1 level tsp methi (Fenugreek leaves)
1 level tsp salt
1 tablespoon veg oil
3 tablespoons of water

(For a hotter Tikka, I  very finely slice 2 green chilie?s, well more like shave them really, and add to the marinade along with 1 tsp of Rajah extra hot chili powder and use red food colouring instead of orange for effect).
Bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped
Spice mixture ? this makes enough for the Chicken Tikka and enough to store in a small herb jar for future use. Just mix it all together.
8 parts ground coriander
7 parts turmeric
5 parts ground cumin
4 parts curry powder
4 parts paprika (optional)

I use ? teaspoons for the amounts above and that usually makes approximately 2 tablespoons of spice mix which is normally enough for 2 separate curry dishes.

However if you?re curry dish warrants more then just increase the quantities in the proportions above.
Method
1. Chop the chicken breasts into 2 or 3 pieces each
2. Mix in 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the chopped chicken, leave for 15 mins
3. Meanwhile mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl
4. Add the runny spice mixture to the chicken, cover and leave in fridge for a minimum of 4 hours. I leave it for 48 hours.
5. Put the chicken pieces onto skewers
6. Heat oven grill to highest temp and leave on full blast for 5mins to ensure it is HOT
7. Place skewers on a dish where both ends of the skewer are supported at both sides of the dish making sure the dish is deep avoid the chicken touching the bottom (i.e. ensure the chicken is suspended)
8. Place dish under grill (I try to get the chicken pieces about 2 inches from the grill element
9. Cook for 2-3 minutes turn once and give them another 2-3 mins
10. Or just fry in a dry pan until done. Turn frequently.
11. Or, stick on BBQ for smokey taste. (This is my preferred method).

I think that cooking on the BBQ gives it the best taste, with that smokey finish...
 

[Ian S.]

Hi 976bar

Just to make it clear, it isn't my recipe, but one shown to Pete by a chef.

I totally hear you on the personal preference thing, and I'm always interested to see how people tweak recipes to suit their own preferences. I'm an inveterate tweaker, myself.  ;D I've added fresh chilli to Pete's recipe in the past with success (for me, but not my chilli-adverse partner).

Cheers mate
Ian
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[ELW]

Hi Ian, next time I make tikka I'm going to try Blade's recipe. At the moment i use a tweaked Shish Mahal recipe

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1934.0

 (minus the amount of food colouring) chicken pre marinated in salt & vinegar for 30mins, & there is no lemon juice added to the actual marinade. Note the use of mustard oil. Apparently, a marinade containing yoghurt penetrates the ingredient further(May have been Professor Blumenthal who proved this ) i'm working on improving the look & texture of my tikka, rather than the taste & marinade.
If i can get the tikka i add to curry looking like laynebritton's herehttp://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1199.0 i will stop 

On  a side note: Tikka in a dish & tikka as a dish, frequently looks & tastes different here, in a dish being more subtle: different process/method? I dunno

Regards
ELW

[Ian S.]

Hi ELW

The Shish Mahal recipe slipped under my radar, so thanks for pointing that out.

You'll love Blade's recipe. I would suggest that you try it first on spec, without any yoghurt, as some people have added. It really works. It works with yoghurt as well, so it's a win-win situation.

I remember Professor Blumenthal cat-scanning his chicken marinated in yoghurt, bless him!

Like you, I want to improve the texture of my tikka rather than the taste, and I'm wondering if it's at all possible without using a Tandoor. I was going to set up another thread exploring the possibilities. I agree laynebritton's looks fab.

I know what you mean about the difference between tikka in a dish on its own and in a curry. It's a puzzler. That's why I like the recipe posted by Pete - it straddles both.

I would still be interested to see if anyone tries/has tried it, and what their opinions were. It's still my 'failsafe' tikka of choice. 

Ian
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