Culture Kitchen SF

Instructions

• Step 1 Prepare the ginger paste by peeling and then cutting the fresh ginger root into small pieces (just larger than minced) and placing in a mortar and pestle with 1 teaspoon water. Smash until smooth. Alternatively, you can make a larger batch of ginger paste (about 5 times this amount) using a blender or grinder.
  NOTE: You are looking for a paste like consistency, but a chunky and watery paste will work fine.
• Step 2 Prepare the garlic paste in the same way by finely chopping 2-3 cloves of garlic and crushing in a mortar and pestle with 1 teaspoon water.
• Step 3 In a large bowl, add 1 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, 1 teaspoon garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk.
• Step 4 Remove the stem and roughly chop 1 Thai green chili.
• Step 5 In a mortar and pestle, crush the green chili, 10 to 15 black peppercorns, and a pinch of salt, making a paste. Add the paste to the large bowl. Whisk until well-blended.
  NOTE: Be careful not to inhale this mixture, as it is very strong.
• Step 6 If you want to add orange color (optional), add 1/2 teaspoon orange color now. (This powder makes Tikka Masala its rich orange color but does not alter the taste)
• Step 7 Add a pinch of salt (or more, to your taste). Taste the mixture now. It should taste a little saltier than you would like as the chicken will not taste as strong as the marinade. Set aside.
• Step 8 Cut any extra fat off the chicken breasts. Use a fork to puncture the chicken breast several times on both sides. This will tenderize the meat and allow the spices to fully penetrate the chicken.
• Step 9 After the chicken is fully tenderized, cut each breast into roughly 1 to 2 inch cubes.
• Step 10 Add the chicken pieces to the marinade. Cover the marinade and place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight (the longer it sits, the richer the flavor).
• Step 11 Soak the bamboo skewers in a cup of water for about 2 hours. It helps to flip the sticks in the cup after the first hour to make sure both ends are soaked. This prevents the skewers from burning on the grill.
• Step 12 Approximately 1 hour before grilling, remove from the refrigerator and allow the chicken and marinade to come to room temperature.
• Step 13 Soak a handful of cilantro in a bowl of cold water to make sure it is fully cleaned before using.
• Step 14 Pickled onion is served with the chicken as a condiment. Very thinly slice half a red onion, roughly chop the cilantro, and mix together with 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit for at least 1 hour.
• Step 15 Skewer 4 to 5 pieces of chicken on each skewer.
• Step 16 Preheat the grill by setting it to medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray or coat lightly with oil.
  SUBSTITUTION: If you don’t have a grill, you can pan fry the skewers in a non-stick pan on the stove top, but the smoky taste of the grill is the most authentic for these kebabs.
• Step 17 Grill the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes on each side (the chicken should get nice dark grill lines).
• Step 18 Serve kebabs warm on a serving platter with the pickled onions as a condiment. Kebabs also pair well with spicy green chutney and sweet brown chutney.