KHYBER CHICKEN TIKKA 

Spit-roasted cooking from the Khyber Pass in Pakistan or Darra, a village in Pakistan's rugged north west frontier province, is an absolute delicacy. This chicken dish is inspired from the same. The key to this dish is getting the marinade right. Not just the ingredients but also the timing of the marinade. 

Preparation time: 40 minutes (Serves 2) 

Ingredients:

•       400 gms boneless chicken (thighs) 

•       (cut into morsels and skin removed)

•       2 tsp lime juice

•       3 tsp ginger paste

•       3 tsp garlic paste

•       3 tbsp cream

•       1 tsp green cardamom powder

•       3 tbsp cashew nut paste

•       1 tsp black pepper (cracked)

•       1 tbsp roasted cumin powder

•       1 tsp roasted and crushed red chillies

•       1 cup hung curd

•       1 tbsp crushed dried fenugreek

•       ½ cup mustard oil

Salt as required

 Preparation:

•       Heat mustard oil in a pan and remove it from the heat

•       Add crushed chillies, cashew paste, cardamom powder,

black pepper, cumin powder and cream to the oil

•       Fold the hung curd well

•       Wash and pat the chicken dry

•       First marinate the chicken with salt, ginger-garlic paste and

lime juice. Rest it for 2 hours. Drain away the excess water

•       Then marinate the chicken with the flavoured curd and rest it

for an hour

•       Put them on skewers and cook them on a grill

•       Serve hot with mint chutney