Chicken Tikka Kebabs
Its summer at the moment, and that means one thing; BBQ season! I live for BBQ's, so my grill is going throughout the summer as there is no greater pleasure in life than meat grilled on a charcoal BBQ. I was disappointed with the grilled Indian style kebabs in our local area and decided that if I wanted something decent, I would have to make them myself. This recipe is an Indian style recipe with an overnight marinade that is easy to make, and the kebabs are really easy to BBQ. No hassle in worrying if they are under cooked. The marinade gives these kebabs bags of flavour and a nice kick from the chillies. You can eat them as is, but my preference is to cook them and put them in a home made kebab wrapped in naan bread. They go really well with our Kachumber salad.
Ingredients
1kg Boned Chicken Thighs, each one cut into 3 pieces
2x thumb sized pieces of ginger, very finely chopped
8x cloves garlic, very finely chopped
5x Green birds eye chillies, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon chilli powder
200ml full fat yoghurt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
30ml rapeseed oil
30ml freshly squeezed lime juice
10 - 15 chicken skewers (makes about 10, but have an extra few just in case)
Optional for serving (lime wedges and fresh coriander)
Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ overnight marinading)
Cooking Time: 15 minutes on the BBQ
Serves: Enough for 4 people as meat (will need to be supplemented with other food)
Instructions
Really simple instructions, mix all of the ingredients apart from the chicken, together
Add the chicken pieces and mix through, making sure they are all coated
Cover with cling film and marinade overnight in the fridge
Get the BBQ grill nice and hot (can do this with a regular grill)
Take the chicken out of the fridge half an hour before cooking, this will help the pieces cook evenly
Soak the wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes before skewering the chicken. (This is only necessary for wooden skewers, if you are using metal skewers you can skip this step, the soaking will prevent the skewers from burning while cooking)
Put the chicken on the skewers making sure that their is a little space between pieces, this will ensure the chicken cooks evenly
Put the skewers on the BBQ, I recommend turning regularly for the first couple of minutes, this will stop the kebabs sticking
Cook for about 7 minutes each side, or until you get the desired charring, they should have a bit of char but not too much. Cook with the lid down so they cook with the ambient heat like in an oven as well as direct grilling
Check one of the larger pieces and make sure it is cooked through
If you are happy, serve with the lime wedges and a little sprinkling of chopped coriander
Enjoy!