Topic: Chicken Tikka - better than the BIRs

[blade1212]

I've not posted much recently, but I've been working away to try and come up with something new. This recipe was inspired by a recipe that used tamarind. Honestly guys, you really should try this if you get a chance as it beautiful.


600g Chicken  - 4 or 5 breasts
1 hpd tbl Pataks tandoori curry paste (the KEY ingredient as it includes lots of tamarind)
1 tsp mint sauce
1 hpd tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2+2 tbl lemon juice (Jiff is ok)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 dsp spice mixture (equal parts ground coriander, turmeric, garamasala, curry powder). I use this same mix for my curries.
1/4 tsp orange food colouring (much nicer than red)
1 lvl tsp methi
1 lvl tsp salt
2 tbl veg oil
3 tbl water

1. Chopped chicken breasts into 2 or 3 pieces each
2. Mix in 2 tbl lemon juice to the chopped chicken, leave for 15 mins
3. Meanwhile mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl (including the additional 2 tbl lemon juice)
4. Add the runny spice mixture to the chicken, cover and leave in fridge for 2 hours minimum .
5. Put 3 of 4 pieces of Chicken 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 (ie ensure the chicken is suspended)
8. Place dish under grill (I try to get the chicken pieces about 2 inches from the grill element0
9. Cook for 4 minutes, turn once and give them another 4 mins.

Let the tikka rest for 5 mins before eating,. They freeze really well.

This recipe is actually better than anything I've eaten in a BIR.. honestly.

[dave3310]

sounds good............... will be trying this one in the near future.

Regards

Dave

[DARTHPHALL]

Hey Blade as Summer is here..finally what do you think to cooking this on a BBQ
It looks like i nice & easy dish.

[Blondie]

Hi Blade1212,

I am going to make you're chicken tikka better then BIR as soon as I clear one small point.
Does the marinade not have any yoghurt in it as this is the first recipe for tikka that I have made that doesn't?

Cheers,

Blondie

[woodpecker21]

hi blondie again
have you tried the tandoori/tikka marinade posted by ifindforu( terry) this is truly top drawer and making the mint sauce to go with it add some salad and make it your starter and so simple to make .

regards
gary

[Blondie]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for that, I find Terry's recipes very good, I'll try that one tonight.

Cheers,

Blondie

[George]

Honestly guys, you really should try this if you get a chance as it beautiful...This recipe is actually better than anything I've eaten in a BIR.. honestly...

I'll ensorse that!

I made your tikka recipe last week and thought how good it was. Many thanks. The only thing I changed was to add some yoghurt. I also made a 'control sample' from 50% Pataks paste + 50% yoghurt, as suggested on the Pataks bottle. The flavour of the latter mix simply couldn't compare with your recipe.

Anyway, last night I went to a popular BIR. It was busy, as usual, even on a Tuesday. I had a chicken tikka starter and the chicken pieces were almost flavourless. They looked the part with the bright orange-red coat but that was as far as it went. Marks to the BIR tikka: 3/10  Marks to your tikka: 9/10

Another thought - tikka doesn't have a BIR taste, as such, does it? It's just about good and bad tikkas. Blade's tikka would impress me anywhere, whether it be at a ?15/meal BIR or a ?60/head place like Tamarind in Mayfair.

Regards
George

[DARTHPHALL]

I'm making this on Sunday & marinating it for Monday evening, i will post my findings,i have high hopes for it from the positive posts it already has, i will leave out however, the food coloring.

[sardam]

Like George, I also added some yogurt to the marinade and was very impressed with the results.
I started them off under the grill and then finished them off on the barbie prior to serving with a salad and the ubiquitous wedge of lemon!.......the kids also thoroughly enjoyed them also.

[DARTHPHALL]

I made this today  ;D
A very impressive recipe, much better than any Bir.
I only changed 2 things.
1. Did not use food coloring & it ended up exactly the same colour as my favorite Bir.
2. Substituted 1/2 Tsp Chilli powder with 1 Tsp Bassar mix.

This is well worth anyone making, if like me you have put it off, don't, you are missing out on a class dish 
I would make one suggestion though, chop some fresh Coriander & when you have cooked the Tikka, put it in a dish with a lid, sprinkle the Coriander on it, replace the lid & allow to cool for 4 minutes, the Coriander gives it the final touch  my local puts it on the Chicken Tikka they serve.
This recipe makes Chicken Tikka with its own unique Bir taste but has the added extra of having more depth of flavour.
You may want to experiment with the cooking times as mine turned our very tender indeed, next time i will add a few more minutes to give a more hard Bir style texture.

Another tip.
With the remaining marinade i cooked up some small new Potatoes & poured it over them & left to cool in a dish with a lid on.which were very nice also