This tasty Indian dish is a favorite among diners as it uses cream and garlic in plenty.

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

Chicken Tikka

Boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs) cut into pieces of size 2.5 cm – 675 grams

Lemon juice – 3 tablespoons

Peeled and grated ginger root – 1 tablespoon

Cloves of garlic crushed or finely grated – 2

Ground cumin – 1 teaspoon

Paprika – 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder – Three-fourth of a teaspoon

Whipping cream – 6 tablespoons

Garam masala – half of a teaspoon

Sunflower oil – 3 tablespoons

For Masala

Sunflower oil – 4 tablespoons

Finely sliced onions – 140 grams

Peeled, finely grated root ginger – 1 tablespoon

Crushed garlic cloves – 5 to 6

Ground coriander – 1 tablespoon

Turmeric – half a teaspoon

Chilli powder – Three-fourth of a teaspoon

Paprika – 2 teaspoon

Yogurt – 4 tablespoons

Peeled and finely chopped medium sized tomatoes – 2

Chicken stock – 350 milliliters

Garam masala – Quarter teaspoon

Coriander leaves – 4 tablespoons

Preparation

In a bowl, take the chicken pieces and rub them with the lemon juice and one-and-a-quarter teaspoon of salt. Poke pieces of chicken lightly with the knife tip and again rub in the seasoning. Allow it to marinate for about 20 minutes.

Add ginger, garlic, paprika, cumin, chilli powder, garam masala and whipping cream. Mix the ingredients well and refrigerate for about 6 to 8 hours in a closed vessel. You can leave it in the refrigerator for a longer period also.

To prepare the masala, pour the sunflower oil on to a large, non-stick pan with lid. Put the pan on the stove, setting a medium to high heat. Add onions when the oil becomes hot and stir till they become brown in color. This takes about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and continue frying for a minute.

Now add turmeric, coriander, paprika and chilli powder and stir for 10 seconds. Add one tablespoon of yogurt and continue stirring till it gets absorbed. Pour the remaining yogurt, one tablespoon at a time.

Fry the tomatoes form about 3 to 4 minutes or till they become pulpy. Add a quarter teaspoon of salt and the stock and bring it to a simmer. Put the lid on the pan and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes at low heat till the sauce turns thick.

Add coriander leaves, garam masala and salt to taste. Preheat the grill at its highest setting. Thread the chicken pieces onto 2 to 4 skewers (preferably, flat ones that look like swords). Apply 3 tablespoons of oil and place the skewers on a shallow baking tray in such as way that the chicken pieces do not have any contact with the tray. Place the tray at a distance of about 13 cm from the heat source. Grill each side for about 6 minutes.

Once the chicken skewers get cooked, heat the sauce once again and fold in the chicken. Immediately serve the dish.