Chicken Tikka Kabobs with Rice Pilaf

An easy version of the popular Indian dish, Chicken Tikka - tender chicken kabobs, seasoned with warm, aromatic spices!

A restaurant in Amman with a cute cartoon chicken painted on their sign, and the name, “Al Mankal Chicken Tikka” was our children’s early introduction to Indian Cuisine. It must have been the charming chicken that lured us in but it was the bread that made us stay. Not the typical naan or chapati, the puffy, delicate bread was a fried bit of “Wow”, called Puri, which had us coming back for more.

And Chicken Tikka was the reason for the chicken on their logo. This recipe is actually the popular Chicken Tikka Masala dish deconstructed but a bit easier to eat, at least more casual; less messy, requires no utensils and is quicker to the mouth. Pick up a skewer, dip into the tikka sauce or not, serve with rice or salad or not, but be sure to wrap it in Puri (or Na’an if not).

Chicken Tikka Kebabs

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plain yogurt

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teasoon ground ginger

pinch of dried red pepper flakes

12, 6 - 8 inch bamboo skewers

2 tablespoon butter, melted

-In a medium bowl, combine chicken pieces, lemon juice and salt and let stand at room temperature covered for 30 minutes.

-Mix yogurt, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger and red pepper flakes in small bowl. Stir to combine. Add to chicken and stir until chicken is well coated with spice mixture. Refrigerate chicken, covered, at least 3 hours or overnight.

-Thread chicken onto skewers, 4 -5 pieces chicken on each. Brush chicken with melted butter. Season with salt. Place skewers on baking rack placed over a rimmed cookie sheet, leaving space between chicken pieces. Spread the kabobs with any leftover marinade. Grill kabobs on barbeque or under broiler until just cooked through, turning once during grilling - about 7 minutes.

-Serve with Rice Pilaf (recipe below) and Tikka sauce (recipe below) if desired.

Marinate chicken pieces in lemon juice and salt.

Add Indian spices, yogurt and garlic to the marinade and chill.

Prepare the rice pilaf according to directions below.

Thread chicken pieces onto skewers and grill until just lightly golden.

Serve chicken skewers over rice pilaf (recipe below), accompanied with the Tikka Sauce dip (recipe below) and with Indian Naan bread.

Indian Rice Pilaf:

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, peeled and minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 cup long grain rice

1/3 cup short dry spaghetti pieces, about 1/2 inch (see note below)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

dash of paprika

dash of ground cloves

-In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, rice and pasta. Stir frequently until rice is the color of wheat and pasta is toasted - about 5 minutes.

-Add hot water and chicken broth along with salt, curry powder, cinnamon paprika and cloves. Bring the water and broth to a boil then cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to low.

-Cook 20 - 25 minutes then remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes covered before serving. Fluff with fork and serve. (Garnish with sliced almonds and chopped parsley, if desired.)

Tikka Sauce

(to serve as a dip with kebabs if desired)

1 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoon butter (divided)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ inch cinnamon stick

2 medium white onion, diced

1 ½ inch ginger

4 - 5 large garlic cloves, chopped

4 large ripe tomatoes

2 teaspoon tomato paste

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon Indian red chili powder or Cayenne pepper to taste

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 ½ teaspoon garam masala (divided)

½ teaspoon honey or sugar

1 ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) - optional

salt to taste

¼ cup cream

½ - ¾ cup water

-Heat one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and small piece of cinnamon stick. Toast the cumin seeds for 30 seconds; add chopped onion, garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. Saute for 7-8 minutes till onions turn slight brown.

-Add four large ripe tomatoes with the juices, tomato paste, turmeric powder, Indian red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt to taste. Mix it well and cook for 12-15 minutes till mixture turns soft and some the water from the tomato is evaporated.

-Remove the cinnamon stick and cool the mixture and transfer it to a blender. Blend to a fine paste.

-Transfer the sauce back to the same pan, add heavy cream, honey or sugar, dried fenugreek leaves (if using), ½ teaspoon garam masala, 1 tablespoon butter, water to adjust the thickness of the gravy ( about ½ to ¾ths cup). Mix and check for seasoning. Simmer the tikka sauce for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

-Makes 3 cups. Cut recipe in half if you want to use it as a dip for the kebabs, or make the entire batch and freeze any left over sauce for another use.

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**These kabobs are deliciously tender and beautifully seasoned, and excellent served on their oven over rice pilaf with or without the rich and spicy Tikka Sauce.

**The Tikka sauce is wonderfully rich and spicy and the perfect accompanying dip for the kebabs, but the recipe itself can look intimidating as there are lots of ingredients - mostly spices. But if you set everything out, armed with the required seasongs or at least most of them, the preparation is quick and easy.

**In some markets you can buy bags of short thin pieces of pasta. If not, hold a few pieces of spaghetti in one hand and holding about an inch at a time over the edge of a pot or dish, just break off the inch end by pushing down with the heel of your other hand, until you have about 1/3 cup of short pieces.

**If you are not used to the strong, hot Indian spices, you can cut back on them and just try a pinch the first time preparing these recipes - particularly if you are making it for young eaters. Get a feel for your spice level - that level at which you can tolerate the heat without discomfort and without obliterating all the other flavors of the dish. I like to feel just a bit of warmth in the back of my throat after eating Indian or other spicy recipes - a pleasant hum of heat. For others, who love heat, go for the entire amount of hot spices and serve Siracha sauce on the side!