Tikka

This is a dish you do not want to miss if you like grilled chicken or meat. Tikka is generally served at dinnertime and comes in both meat and chicken varieties. The pork or chicken is marinated overnight and barbecued right in front of your eyes. The chicken is marinated in tomato and paprika, and the flesh comes in two varieties. The first is Yoghurt tikka, which is marinated in a yogurt mixture, and the second is Loomi tikka, which is covered in Loomi marination and has a pleasant sour flavor. This is the perfect meat lover's meal, served with freshly baked Iranian bread and vegetables!

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts - (approx 500g/17.5 oz) - chopped into bite-size chunks, 120 g (½ cup) Greek yogurt - or thick natural yogurt (full fat), 2 cloves garlic - - peeled and minced, 1 tbsp minced ginger, Juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp mild chilli powder, 1 pinch of cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp vegetable oil - - for brushing onto the chicken before grilling, 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

Instructions

• Place the chicken breast pieces into a bowl or freezer bag with the yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
• Mix together so that everything is combined, then cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.
• If you’re using wooden skewers, place them in water to soak while the chicken is marinating. This will help to prevent them burning during grilling.
• Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and thread onto skewers.
• Brush the chicken with the oil, then place on a griddle plate and cook, turning a couple of times, for 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Alternatively, you can grill (broil) under a grill, or you can barbecue for the same amount of time.
• Make sure the chicken is cooked by slicing into a larger piece and ensuring it's no longer pink in the middle.
• Serve with a sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander.