Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Recipe: Cream and cheese chicken tikka

Cream and cheese chicken tikka

Cream and cheese chicken tikka

One of the dominant dishes in Indian cuisine is chicken tikka, its electric-orange meat hinting at generous spices baked in by a clay oven called a tandoor. But Las Vegas’ purveyor of Bombay-style tapas, Urban Turban, goes deeper into the culinary canon with the cream and cheese tikka kebab. Also known as methi malai tikka, the chicken specialty has melt-in-your-mouth texture and a lovely cheese-forwardness brightened by mint sauce and the herb fenugreek. With a light salad, it’s a spring home run.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 lb boneless chicken

• 4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• 1 tsp green chilli paste

• 1 tsp garam masala

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek

• 1/2 cup hung yogurt (curd drained of its whey)

• 2 tbsp mozzarella, shredded

• 1/2 cup cream

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 tbsp roasted channa (chickpea) powder

• 2 tbsp oil

• 2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

• 2 onions, diced

• 2 bell peppers, diced

Directions

1. Wash and pat dry the chicken, cut into cubes and set aside. Marinate with salt, pepper, garam masala and lemon juice, and refrigerate overnight or at least 3 hours.

2. Prepare another marinade using ginger-garlic paste, chilli paste, fenugreek leaves, hung curd, mozzarella, cream, egg yolk, roasted channa powder and oil, and mix until smooth.

3. Marinate the chicken in this mixture and refrigerate for another 2 hours to tenderize and allow the meat to absorb the flavors.

4. Dice onions and peppers, and alternate with chicken pieces on skewers. Grill skewers, periodically turning them and brushing with the second marinade.

5. When the chicken is almost half-cooked, baste using clarified butter to moisten and char the meat. Pierce a chicken piece with a knife to check for clear juices/doneness.

6. Serve with lemon or lime and your choice of bread and salad.

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