Tikka is a dish comprising pieces of meat or vegetarian alternatives, with its origins tracing back to the Mughal Empire. It is made by marinating the pieces in spices and yoghurt and cooking them in a tandoor. Tikka is popular throughout the Indian subcontinent and also in countries such as Great Britain. The preservation of paneer tikka can be enhanced by using vacuum packaging.
Tikka is a Chaghatai word that has been commonly combined with the Hindi-Urdu word masala itself derived from Arabic with the combined word originating from UK English. The Chaghatai word Tikka itself is a derivation of the Common Turkic word tikkü, which means ‘piece’ or ‘chunk’. The precise origin of the dish is uncertain. During the Mughal dynasty, the Mughals brought ‘boneless pieces of cooked meat’ called Tikka to India.
There are different varieties of the dish, both meat inclusive and vegetarian. Generally, the dish is defined as ‘an Indian dish of small pieces of meat or vegetables marinated in a spice mixture’. Tikka consists of boneless pieces of meat or vegetarian alternatives such as paneer which are marinated in spices and yoghurt and subsequently strung through a skewer to be cooked. It is generally cooked in a tandoor and served dry.
Preparation time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 500 gms - Chicken
- Salt to Taste
- 1/4th Tsp - Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp - Garlic Paste
- ½ Tbsp - Ginger Paste
- ¾th Cup - Hung Curd
- ½ Cup - Fresh Cream
- 2 Tbsp - Almond Paste
- 1 Tsp - Green Chilli Paste
- 2 Tsp - Garam Masala
- 1 Tsp - Kasuri Methi
- ¼ Tsp - White Pepper Powder
- 1 Tbsp - Fresh Coriander Leaves (Chopped)
- 1 Tbsp - Cornstarch
- Live Charcoal and Oil
- Bamboo Skewers as Required
- 2 Tbsp - Ghee
Method:
- In a mixing bowl, add cubes of chicken, add salt and pepper
- Add ginger paste and garlic paste, mix and marinate the chicken for 15 minutes.
- In a separate bowl add hung curd, fresh cream, almond paste, green chilli paste, garam masala, Kasuri methi, white pepper powder, salt and fresh coriander, mix well
- Add cornstarch and add the marinated chicken, mix and coat the second marination properly
- Marinate the chicken for at least an hour, place a bowl in the centre of the marinated chicken
- Place live charcoal in it and add a few drops of oil, cover and smoke for 3-4 minutes
- Once done smoking, discard the coal
- Skew the marinated chicken in the bamboo skewers
- Heat a pan on medium heat, add ghee
- Grill the chicken from all sides for 3-4 minutes
- Once done, sprinkle some chaat masala
- Squeeze some fresh lemon
Recipes for cooked meat enriched with spices and mixed within a sauce date back to 1700 BCE found on cuneiform tablets near Babylon, are credited to the Sumerians.
