My introduction to Chicken Tikka came in the form of bar food. As a regular business traveler to India, I spent a little time in the pubs of Bangalore.  Food always took the form of "snacks", which inevitably included Chicken Tikka.  On one particular night out with locals, someone at the table complained "this chicken is not hot enough.  I'm from Hyderabad…"  I quickly learned that Hyderabad and Andhra are synonymous with shockingly spicy food. 

There was (and probably still is) a restaurant/bar in Bangalore named Cosmo Village.  Cab drivers always had a fun time trying to find it.  It had multiple levels and a fantastic open air rooftop deck.  Any trip to Bangalore included a night at Cosmo Village.  On random nights they had a guy cooking chicken tikka skewers on a small bbq.  It made for a great evening - keep the big bottles of Kingfisher and skewers of Chicken Tikka coming until the inevitable jet lag catches up with you.

Coming home from India, I set out to learn how to make Chicken Tikka like the guy at Cosmo Village.  I made countless valiant efforts using the traditional Indian recipes, which are entirely yoghurt based.  It was a complete surprise to finally find the correct recipe in an excellent book on BBQ. I cook these on a small charcoal grill with hardwood lump charcoal.  Chicken Tikka is also a key ingredient in my favorite India street food - the Chicken Egg Roll.

Chicken Tikka Marinade:   1 Tbsp coriander seeds 2 tsp whole black pepper 1 tsp cumin seeds 6 clove garlic 2 inches ginger 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 1/4 cup water juice from 1 lemon 1 tsp Reshampatti or similar hot red chili (or cayenne) 1 tsp paprika 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 lbs boneless chicken   Directions   In a preheated cast iron pan, toast the coriander, black pepper and cumin until they are cooked but not burned.  Usually no more than a couple minutes.  Immediately grind in a spice grinder. Blend the toasted spices and the rest of the marinade into a puree. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours If using bamboo, soak the skewers for 30 minutes.  Thread the chicken onto the skewers. Grill the skewers.  After the second turn, coat the skewers in ghee or butter.

recipe adapted from: