1,000 Indian Recipes (112 page)

Authors: Neelam Batra

2.
When ready to cook, prepare the finishing glaze and set aside. Then, thread the marinated pieces of chicken on skewers (4 to 5 pieces per skewer) and discard the used marinade. (If you prefer, immediately boil the marinade about 5 minutes and then use it as a sauce. Boiling kills any bacteria.)

3.
Preheat a grill over medium-high heat to 375°F to 400°F and grill, turning and rotating the chicken until lightly charred on all sides and tender, about 20 minutes. Baste occasionally with the reserved marinade. During the last minute or so, baste with the finishing glaze. Transfer to a platter lined shredded greens. Garnish with lemon and tomato wedges, sliced scallions, and green chile peppers, and serve.

Variation:
Place the skewered pieces in a broiler tray and grill about 8 inches from the heating element, until charred all over. Then heat the oven to 450°F, cover the skewers with foil, and bake until the chicken is soft and tender, about 25 minutes.

Basic Fish Tikka Kabaabs

Macchi Tikka

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Fish
tikkas
are very soft and delicate. They fall apart easily and should be handled with care at all times—before they are placed on the grill, while cooking, and after they are cooked.

1 recipe
Tikka Marinade
of your choice

1
¹⁄
₂to 2 pounds firm white fish fillets, such as sea bass, halibut, or orange roughy, about
³⁄
₄to 1 inch thick, cut into 1
¹⁄
₂-inch pieces

8 to 10 metal or bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

1 tablespoon melted butter

Salad greens, lime or lemon, and tomato wedges, scallion whites, thinly sliced

1 to 2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced

1.
Prepare the marinade. Then place the fish pieces in a large non-reactive bowl, add the marinade (saving about
¹⁄
₄cup to use for basting as you grill), and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, about 2 hours. (To prevent potential salmonella contamination, never marinate any poultry, meat, or seafood at room temperature.)

2.
Thread fish pieces on skewers (4 to 5 pieces per skewer) and discard the used marinade. (If you absolutely must, immediately boil the marinade about 5 minutes and then use it in sauces. Boiling kills any bacteria.)

3.
Preheat a grill over medium-high heat to 375°F to 400°F and grill, turning and rotating the skewers, until lightly charred and tender, about 10 minutes. Baste occasionally with the reserved marinade. During the last minute or so, baste with the melted butter. Transfer to a platter lined with salad greens. Garnish with fresh lime or lemon and tomato wedges, scallion whites, and green chile peppers. Serve.

Variation:
Place the skewered pieces in a broiler tray and grill about 10 inches from the heating element, turning the skewers once or twice, until the pieces are flaky and lightly charred on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Turmeric Lamb Tikka Marinade

Gosht Tikka—Haldi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

³⁄
₄cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¹⁄
₂teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. In a large non-reactive bowl, mix together the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, garam masala, cumin, and salt.

2.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly, before they burn, mix everything into the yogurt.

Rosemary Lamb Tikka Marinade

Gosht Tikka—Rosemary

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 to 3 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

¹⁄
₂cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

¹⁄
₂cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon ground paprika

¹⁄
₂teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. In a large non-reactive bowl, mix together the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, cilantro, rosemary, garam masala, and salt.

2.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the paprika and cayenne pep-per; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly, before they burn, mix everything into the yogurt.

Fresh Green Chutney Lamb Tikka Marinade

Gosht Tikka—Hari Chutni

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This marinade has two steps: first marinate the lamb with the ginger-garlic paste, then mix in the remaining flavorings.

¹⁄
₄cup
Basic Green Chutney

3 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

³⁄
₄teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹⁄
₂to 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, all visible fat trimmed, cut into 1
¹⁄
₂-inch pieces

¹⁄
₂cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon ground paprika

1.
Prepare the chutney, ginger-garlic paste, and chaat masala. In a large non-reactive bowl, mix together the ginger-garlic paste, salt, and the lamb, and refrigerate about 2 hours.

2.
Add the yogurt, green chutney, garam masala, and chaat masala to the lamb, and mix well. Then, heat both the oils in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat, add the paprika, quickly pour into the bowl with the lamb, and mix well.

Royal Lamb Tikka Marinade

Gosht Tikka—Shahi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Replete with cream, cheese, and ground nuts, this recipe lends some truly exotic tastes to the foods.