Chicken Tikka Kebabs

These kebabs can either be served on their own as a starter, when they'll serve 8 people, or with a sauce to make Chicken Tikka Masala, when they'll serve 4. For greedy hungry people change those numbers to 6 and 3.

Ideally these should be marinated overnight, so marinade them up the day before you are going to eat them.

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Ingredients

• 675g (1 1/2 lb) boned & skinned chicken breasts cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic peeled and pulped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 tbsp whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tbsp peanut oil

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Marinading

• Put the chicken in a bowl and rub in the salt and lemon juice.

• Prod the pieces lightly with a knife and rub in again.

• Set aside for 20 minutes.

• Add the: -
• ginger;
• garlic;
• cumin;
• paprika;
• cayenne;
• garam masala;
• cream.

• Mix well, cover and put in the fridge for 6 - 8 hours, or preferably overnight.

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Cooking

• Preheat the grill just before serving (If like me your grill is rubbish, you can cook the chicken on a griddle pan).

• Thread the meat onto 2 - 4 long metal skewers.

• Brush with oil and balance on rim of a small shallow baking tray.

• Place about 13cm (5 inches) from the heat source and grill for about 6 minutes a side until lightly browned and cooked through.
  

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Chicken Tikka Masala

I guess at some point I had to include the nations favourite food. Apart from being very popular, this is also very good.

Please note that the Chicken Tikka Kebabs in this recipe need 6-8 hours to marinade (or preferably overnight), so marinade them before starting in on the masala sauce.

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Ingredients

• 4 tbsp oil peanut or olive
• 140g (5 oz) onions sliced finely into half rings
• 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic pulped
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tbsp ground tumeric
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp paprika (I'd recommend Pimenton de la vera if you can get hold of it)
• 4 tbsp full fat natural yoghurt such as greek (don't use a low fat yoghurt)
• 3 medium tomatoes peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 350 ml (12 fl oz) chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 4 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
• 1 batch of freshly made Chicken Tikka Kebabs

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Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large non-stick saucepan over a medium-high heat.
2. When it is hot add the onions and stir fry for about 6-7 minutes until they turn light brown.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute.
4. Add the coriander, tumeric, cayenne and paprika.
5. Stir for around ten seconds
6. Add a tablespoon of the yoghurt.
7. Stir until absorbed.
8. Repeat steps 6 -7 until all the yoghurt has been used.
9. Add the tomatoes and fry them for 3-4 minutes, pressing them with a spatula or wooden spoon to turn them into a pulp.
10. Add the stock and season with salt to taste.
11. Reduce to a low heat, cover and continue to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it until the kebabs are cooked.
    
12. When the kebabs are cooked reheat the sauce.
13. Stir in the garam masala and coriander leaves and add more salt to taste.
14. Fold in the kebabs and serve.
    

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