I first encountered the Pakistani style of Chicken Tikka in the Pakistan day parade of 2016 in New York. Actually, the true narrative would be: I found the parade, when following a divine chicken curry aroma down Madison Ave. Compared to its Indian counterparts, the Pakistani version seemed yellower and less coated with heavy yogurt marinade (as seen below in the picture from that very day). Presented here, is an attempt to reconstruct the chicken I ate that day. The developed recipe calls for chicken breasts, the natural tenderness of which allows the elimination of yogurt from the marinade. As the oil-based marinade is not heavy and sticky, chicken can be grilled in a pan, without the fear of burning the sticky coating.
Ingredients:
Marinated chicken (recipe follows)
2 medium white onions, thinly sliced
1 medium ginger root, grated
Marinated chicken:
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts,
cut to kebab portions
1 TSP turmeric
1 TSP Garam Masala
1/2 TSP coriander powder
1 TBSP mild chili powder (or paprika)
1 TBSP garlic, grated
1/3 cup oil
1 Persian lime
1 TSP salt
To make the marinade, toast the garlic, salt, and spices in the oil for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside and let cool. Mix the chicken pieces with the lime juice, and the now-cool oil mixture. Let marinate overnight. The next day mix in the onion slices and ginger.
To grill the kebab use a wide pan, set on medium high heat. Grill the chicken and all the marinade in a single layer until the chicken is cooked and onions are lightly caramelized. In case the pan is not large enough, cook in several batches.
The result was served on corn tortilla, similar to tacos.... Chicken Takko masla maybe?
Comments