Andhra Chicken Tikka

Everyday Chicken Series - Recipe 7

You can fry this up to a little more darker shade for best taste.

The ingredient that stands out in Andhra cuisine is the curry leaves. The green chillies and curry leaves tarka(tempering) instantly makes the dish impossible to resist. The tempering adds all the magic in this chicken tikka recipe as well. This is my go-to weekend chicken recipe when I want to eat something delicious. It perfectly fits the lifestyle and is quick enough to make, so that I don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless chicken
1 onion, roughly grated
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
pinch garam masala(optional)
3 tbsp ghee(or butter)
2 tbsp cashews, halves and pieces
1/4 cup cashew powder(more if desired)
8-10 curry leaves(fresh or dried)
1 tbsp jalapeños(or any green chilis), deseeded and sliced.
salt to taste

Method:

1. Clean and cut boneless chicken(breast and/or thighs) into 1 inch cubes.

2. In a mixing bowl, add chicken, 3-4 chopped curry leaves, onion, 1 tbsp ghee, cumin, coriander, red chilli powder, turmeric, lemon juice, salt and garam masala(if using). Marinate for at least 20 mins(or up to overnight in the fridge).
   

   

3. Bring the chicken to room-temperature if you have marinated it in the fridge before cooking.

4. In a thick bottom pan, add the marinated chicken and chopped cashews, cover and cook on a low flame for 20mins. Stir a few times if needed.

5. Remove the lid and turn up the flame to high.

6. For tempering, in a small sauce or tarka pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee, add green chilli and let it fry for a minute.

   

7. Turn off the gas and add the remaining curry leaves and add this to the chicken. Add cashew powder to the chicken as well.
   

   

8. Cook the chicken on high until most of the water evaporates and the tikkas become golden, stirring occasionally if needed.

9. Serve warm with chilled yoghurt or a wedge of lemon.

Notes:

1. Curry leaves are readily available in all Indian Stores. This is a good source for getting dried curry leaves, if you don’t use them much to buy fresh. I have used dried curry leaves in the pictures.

2. I add the onion to the grinder jar in which I have prepared my ginger-garlic paste and pulse a few times. Consistency close to chopped onions work better than onion paste for this recipe.

3. This dish might turn out to be salty, so add less salt in the beginning and adjust later.

4. Keep a splutter guard close as the tempering might splutter, especially if there are some seeds in the peppers or some water drops on the curry leaves. I am very very dependent on mine!