Chicken Tikka with Mint Raita

Indian cuisine is among the most diverse and versatile in the world, employing a wide range of cooking techniques and a vast array of ingredients and flavors. The influences of geography, history and religion have resulted in a huge range of dishes that cater for almost any palate.

When I first made this chicken recipe it didn’t dawn on me until much later that I made the wrong dish 🙂 I intended to really make Tandoori-style Chicken but ended up making Chicken Tikka! The recipes are very similar to one another with the exception of tomato paste versus tamarind paste–which I didn’t have on hand anyway, so this accidental dish mistake made for a delicious result and overall wonderful meal. Incidentally, For a true burst of authentic flavor I made sure to use my Tagine cookware to make this dish 😉

Ingredients:

1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
few drops of red food coloring (optional)
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, sliced
3 tbsp vegetable oil
lettuce leaves and lemon wedges (to garnish, optional)

Directions:

Blend ginger, garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin and chili powder together in a large bowl.
Add yogurt, salt, lemon juice, red food coloring (if using) and the tomato paste to the spice mixture.
Cut chicken into pieces. Add the chicken to the spice mixture and toss to coat well. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the onion in the base of a flameproof dish. Carefully drizzle half of the oil over the onions.
Arrange the marinated chicken pieces on top of the onions and cook under the hot boiler, turning once and basting with the remaining oil, for 25-30 minutes.
Serve the chicken tikka on a bed of lettuce and garnish with the lemon wedges.