This recipe is straight-up not mine, but it has, over time, morphed into something that comes as close to anything as being my signature dish. I bring this dish to potlucks and birthday dinners, I make it for family events like last fall’s cider pressing, and once, at the request of the betrothed, I even brought it to a wedding. It has become a dish for which I am known, and there is a tiny little part of me that feels sort of bad about it. After all, I didn’t put in any work when it came to developing the recipe or testing it out to make sure that it was perfectly delicious. To make it I just crack open a book, gather things together, and use someone else’s wisdom to guide me. Other than a tiny little tweak concerning the switching of cardamom pods with ground cardamom, and the exclusion of clove that I insist on in every recipe that happens to call for clove (because if there is one spice by which I cannot abide, it is clove), this recipe is 100% Madhur Jaffrey’s.
With the simplest of preparations involving nothing more than whirling up a marinade, pouring it over some chicken, then waiting a few hours before grilling the chicken to a perfect finish, there is no simpler way to become acquainted with making Indian food. Make it enough, and people may even begin to request it from you. I take no credit for the recipe itself, but I may have to claim ownership of warning you of its charms.
There is something about the warmth of the spices—a bit of cinnamon, a hit of cumin, a good dose of cardamom—combined with the perfect bit of brightness, garlic, and onion, that makes this chicken really stand out. I know that might sound a little phony and desperate (really? Can someone feel that strongly about chicken?), but I swear it is true. If you’ve always wanted to take a stab at Indian cooking, but are at a loss over where to start, I suggest you make this dish (along with these super simple accompaniments) your inaugural entrance to the world in Indian cooking.
Last Year: Quick All Parmesan Crackers–gluten free!
Chicken Tikka with Tomato Recipe
From Foolproof Indian Cooking, by Madhur Jaffrey
For the marinade:
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
20 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon tomato puree
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch strips
Put all of the ingredients for the marinade into a food processor or blender and process to a smooth paste.
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, add the marinade, and stir to mix. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours. (I have been known to marinate this chicken for fewer than 4 hours and it turns out just fine—I have also left it to marinate overnight, for up to 12 hours, and it also turned out just fine.)
When the chicken is done marinating, preheat an outdoor grill or a grill pan over high heat. Grill the chicken pieces in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the grill surface. Discard any marinade that is left behind in the bowl. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes total, or until the chicken pieces are cooked through, but still tender.
Serve immediately.
Savory Salty Sweet 
Looks great! (I love chicken marinades with flexible marinating times!) I wonder how this would work on my cast iron grill pan, though, since I don’t own an outdoor grill…
Allison! I have successfully made this using a stove top grill pan. The only thing you have to be diligent about is little pools of marinade sticking to the pan and then getting sort of blackened. On an outdoor grill you just let the marinade fall through the grates, but on a stove top grill you need to occasionally wipe off any pooling marinade with a paper towel. Hope this helps!
Yes, thanks, that does help! I’ve had the same problem with grilled fruit dripping into the creases of my grill pan… but good to know it’d still basically work!
This might be my introductory Indian recipe, if you don’t count hummus, which I love. We have a source for locally raised chicken – a sweet family making a try at doing a CSA and some other wonderfully back-to-the-land farming. And the weather is finally warm enough to make sitting outdoors around the campfire grill not a chilling experience. Thank you so much for your food sense and food love – and sharing!
Nancy! I am a fellow lover of hummus–but it’s not Indian, it’s Middle Eastern. Nevertheless, you should definitely give this chicken a try. The flavors are incredibly companionable and delicious.