Chicken Tikka

Chicken Tikka is traditionally baked in skewers with small pieces of chicken, in a tandoor, after marinating in spices and yogurt.

Since we usually dont have tandoors at home,I used an oven instead.

Usually,boneless chicken of the chicken thigh gives best results.However,small pieces of chicken breast or small pieces of the usual chicken with bone can also be used.

Ingredients:

• Chicken pieces-500gm(I have used pieces with bone here)
• Ginger garlic paste-1tsp(squeeze out the water from it.
• Thick curds-3tbsp
• Red chilli powder-1 tsp or to taste.
• Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
• Garam masala powder-1/2tsp
• Kasoori methi powder-1tbsp(crush the dried leaves between the palms)
• Red food color-a pinch(optional)
• Bell peppers(capsicum) chopped into large thin squares-as required.
• Onions chopped into large thin squares-as required
• Lemon juice-1tsp
• Salt-to taste
• Bamboo Skewers

Mix all the ingredients together except the vegetables and marinate for about 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 225 °C.

Mix the veggies with the marinate.

Slide the marinated chicken pieces into the skewers,alternating with bell pepper and onion pieces.

Leave 2" free on both ends of the skewers.

Arrange the skewers onto a baking tray.

Roll up a small piece of aluminum foil into a cylinder.Place two of these cylinders on both sides of the baking tray(the ends of the skewers will rest on these).This allows easy dripping of the liquids whilst baking.

I find the method of baking on a wire mesh too messy .Using this method all the drippings are collected in the tray itself.

Bake for 15minutes on broil mode preferably.

After 15mins,remove tray and place the mesh on which the baking tray rests,one level up.This is to get the pieces closer to the filament on the oven and get the pieces nice and brown.

Turn each of the skewers upside down.

Bake for another 10-15minutes till golden brown.

Sprinkle kabab masala and lime juice over the kababs.

Serve hot .
For kabab masala,mix chaat masala with crushed dried mint leaves.