Chicken Masala Tikka is one of the favorite Indian BBQ tandoori dishes and is often served as a starter or as a party snack. It can be served with naan or tandoori roti (both Indian bread), curries, chutneys or with raita as we do here. Indian BBQ tandoori dishes are traditionally cooked in a clay lined oven heated with charcoal or on charcoal grills, but can be smoked in an electric smoker too. Picnickers will often grill them on dry twig fires and even leaves or hay. The aroma of the dishes varies depending on the type of wood used for cooking or smoking.
What You Need
1 lb boneless chicken breast cut in 1 inch cubes
4 onions quartered and the core removed
2 bell peppers seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 oz unsalted butter
4 long skewers
A brush for basting
For the Garam Masala
The quantity should be more than you require. The masala is used in many Indian dishes and curries, not just Indian BBQ. Store the remaining masala in an air tight container in a refrigerator.
Coriander seeds 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Pepper 1 tbsp
For the Marinade
Hung natural yogurt 8 oz (hang 10 oz of natural yogurt in a thin cloth or a paper bag to let the whey drip off. Makes your marinade thicker)
Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder 2 tsp (or cayenne and paprika mixed in equal amounts)
Garam masala 2 tsp
Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
Coriander powder ¼ tsp
Lemon juice 2 tsp
Peanut / sunflower oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
For the Raita
Natural yoghurt 1 cup
Finely chopped onion ½ cup
Finely chopped garlic 1 tsp
Cinnamon 2 sticks 1 inch long
Nutmeg a pinch
Bay leaf 1
Water ½ cup
Finely chopped coriander leaves or cilantro 1/2 tbsp
Pepper powder ¼ tsp
Chopped coriander leaves ½ cup
Grated carrot 2 tbsp
Lettuce leaves
Slices of lemon
Method
- Roast all the spices for the garam masala on a skillet until they give of the aroma and grind them to a powder.
- Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients. Mix the chicken pieces in the marinade and keep it in the refrigerator for two to four hours.
- Preheat the electric smoker to a temperature of 225° F. Maple, mesquite and pear wood chips make good smokers for chicken.
- Skewer the chicken pieces interspersed with pieces of onion and bell peppers. Start with a piece of chicken and end with one, because vegetables tend to slip on a skewer.
- Baste the pieces of chicken with the remaining marinade.
- Place the chicken in the smoker.
- Baste the pieces with butter every 30 minutes and turn them over.
- Because the chicken pieces are small they will cook much faster than a drum stick or a whole breast.
- The tikkas should be smoked enough between 2 to 2 1/2 hours of smoking. They are done when the outside of the pieces are slightly charred. Baste and let the electric smoker cool slightly before removing the tikkas. If you have a meat thermometer, the temperature of the tikka cubes should be 160° F.
- In a bowl mix the ingredients for the raita.
- Garnish with coriander and pepper.
- Slide the grilled chicken off the skewers on to plates.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve hot dressed with grated carrot and lettuce leaves and slices of lemon with a small cup of raita.
Every time you use different wood chips the flavor and the aroma of the chicken tikka will be different in the Indian BBQ. So go ahead and have fun.
