Grilled Chicken Tikka with Avocado Mint Chutney

Today I’m sharing my all time favorite recipe to fully embrace grilling season: Homestyle grilled chicken tikka with avocado mint chutney. This is perhaps one of the most popular Indian appetizer in restaurants in India and all over the world. It’s a really simple process to throw this together, yet the end result is bold, vibrant, and amazingly flavorful. Served with the refreshing and zesty mint cilantro chutney to pick up all the flavors .…trust me you’ll be returning for more!

First marinate the chicken tenders or thinly sliced/cubed breast in a combination of interesting spices, yogurt, garlic, ginger, and wait for it… mustard oil. Yes, mustard oil, that is a little secret restaurants use to get those smoky slightly charred intensely flavorful morsels of chicken. If you’re new to mustard oil I have to warn you it is pungent (something like sesame oil but different) and an acquired taste. So I recommend start with one teaspoon and always cook it well. Traditionally mustard oil is a common cooking oil used in India for many of the vegetable and meat preparations and comes with good nutritionally benefits. I use it sparingly in certain dishes like eggplant and something like grilled chicken tikka.

I’ve been making this recipe for years, my family and friends love it and I love how simple the process is – marinate the chicken, grill it, whip up a dip and serve. If you want o make meal out of it, simply grill up some veggies: eggplant, peppers, zucchini, red onions, serve it with a raita and naan in addition to the dip. It’s a no-fuss kind of process that’s pretty fool-proof as well.

The key is the marinade I recommend you marinate it overnight or at least 4 hours, which is full of good flavor what I also love the color is all natural. The red color used in many places aka restaurants can be achieved by adding Kashmiri red chili powder or sweet paprika.You cannot go wrong with that combination of ingredients!

• 

• 

• 

• 

Grilled Chicken Tikka

For the Marinade

• 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, sliced into cubes
• 2 tablespoons Mustard Oil + 1 tablespoon any neutral tasting oil ( regular oil will work perfectly too)
• 3 fat cloves garlic, grated, about 1 teaspoon 
• 1 ½ inch ginger grated, about a teaspoon 
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, any fat %
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder or sweet Paprika, preferably smoked
• 1/2 -1 teaspoon hot chili powder, use to your heat tolerance
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala Powder available at Asian/Indian stores
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala homemade or store bought
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed between your palms
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
•  sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and marinate to chicken pieces for at least 4 hours or better still overnight refrigerated.
• When ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge one hour before cooking. Thread all the pieces on skewers. Allow it to drain for a few seconds.
• Heat a grill pan or bbq. Place the chicken skewers directly on the grill allowing some room between the pieces. Once placed don’t disturb for 3-4 minutes. Once they naturally release flip and continue to grill for another 2-3 minutes till the chicken is full cooked and had nice char marks.
• Transfer on to a plate and serve with avocado mint dipping chutney and pickled onions.

Avocado Mint Chutney

1 medium avocado pitted and chopped
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stem
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves only
1 jalapeño or green chilies to your heat level
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 fat date or 2 tablespoons raisins or 1/2 teaspoon sweetener of your choice to balance the flavor
¼ teaspoon kosher salt,
water or just enough to  blend

Blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste, adjust the seasoning as needed. Add a little water to thin and help the food processor work properly. Serve.