| Region | Indian subcontinent |
|---|---|
| National cuisine | Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani |
| Course | Hors d'oeuvre |
| Main ingredient | Chicken, curd (yogurt), red chili powder, ginger and garlic paste, lemon juice |
| Variations | Paneer tikka |
Chicken tikka is a chicken dish in the Indian subcontinent and amongst the South Asian diaspora. It derives from Mughal cuisine, as the Mughals brought the tandoor oven from Central Asia and the Persian habit of marinating meat in yoghurt, combined with the Indian habit of cooking with spices. The dish gave rise to the British chicken tikka masala.
History
The English word "tikka" is borrowed from Hindi टिक्का tikkā "small pieces of meat", itself a borrowing from Classical Persian تکه tikka, "pieces".[1]
Chicken tikka was created in the reign of the Mughal Emperor Babur (r. 1526–1530) by marinating pieces of chicken meat in yoghurt and spices, and then grilling them in a tandoor oven.[2]
Dish
Chicken tikka consists of small pieces of boneless chicken baked after marinating in Indian spices and dahi (yogurt). It is flavourful and tender, essentially a boneless version of tandoori chicken.[3]
The pieces are brushed with ghee (clarified butter) at intervals, while being continuously fanned, to increase flavour. It is typically eaten with green coriander and tamarind chutney, served with onion rings and lemon, or used in preparing chicken tikka masala.[4]
Variants
It is a dish in Punjabi cuisine. The Kashmiri version is grilled over red-hot coals, and does not always contain boneless pieces.
A chicken tikka sizzler has the dish served on a heated plate with onions.
The Afghan variant is less spicy than those in the Indian subcontinent, and can use beef and lamb in place of chicken.[5][6]
In Britain, the dish was transformed in the late 20th century by the addition of tomato, cream, and spices into chicken tikka masala.[2]
See also
References
- ^
- ^ Iyer 2022, pp. 132–134.
- ^ Chapman, Pat (1993). Curry Club Tandoori and Tikka Dishes. London: Piatkus. ISBN 0-7499-1283-9.
- ^ "Chicken Tikka Recipes". Deccan Chronicle. 12 January 2019. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ Chapman, Pat (2007). India: Food & Cooking. London: New Holland Publishers. ISBN 978-1-84537-619-2.
- ^ "Popular hariyali chicken tikka is mouthwatering". Gulf Times. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
Sources
- Iyer, Raghavan (2022). On the Curry Trail: Chasing the Flavor That Seduced the World. New York: Workman Publishing. ISBN 978-1523511211. OCLC 1374192575