Chicken saffron tikka

India is famous for the variety of grilled chicken tikka recipes. From the delicious butter chicken tikka to this amazing recipe from the North of India, they are all delicious. The trick is to marinate the chicken, usually in a yogurt based marinade to make the chicken juicy and have the flavors penetrate the meat.

This super simple recipe is delicate and scented with the king of spices, saffron. The combination of soft saffron and cardamom make this dish irresistible. I pair it with the bold and spicy Til chutney for a wonderful combination.

This out of print cookbook is the bible of Indian grilling. I have cooked over half the recipes from it and each recipe is delicious. It is packed with chicken, lamb, seafood kebabs, and includes a large section on vegetarian and paneer kebabs, and tandoor breads. I could grill from here every week. I highly recommend this cookbook for those who like to light up the grill and are looking for Indian flavors.

For more delicious recipes from this cookbook click here.

Photo credit: Nisha Bilgrami

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken, whole chicken cut into 8 pieces or meat of your choice

1 cup yogurt

1 generous pinch saffron threads

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons oil

Cilantro, to garnish

Til chutney, to serve

Mix the yogurt saffron, cardamom, salt and oil well. Massage into the chicken and allow to marinate for a minimum of 3 hours, overnight preferred.

Grill the chicken on a charcoal or gas grill till cooked through and lightly charred. Or broil in the oven for 15+ minutes till charred and cooked through. Alternatively, you can pan sauté the chicken with a small drizzle of oil till cooked through and browned on both sides.

Serve immediately garnished with cilantro and with Til chutney on the side.