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Family weekend trips to our favourite open-air barbecue restaurant meant we’d get to eat boti tikka with flatbreads and tamarind chutney – as the grown-up chat bored me, that was the only reason I’d willingly go along. The chicken tikka was always spicy and made my tummy rumble the minute I saw it. I’d pull off pieces of the chicken meat, roll it up in hot naan and reach for the chutney. For this recipe, you’ll need some bamboo skewers to thread the cubes of chicken on (remember to soak them for at least half an hour so they don’t get singed in the oven).

Recipes extracted from Andaza: A Memoir of Food, Flavour and Freedom in the Pakistani Kitchen by Sumayya Usmani (£25, Murdoch Books). Photographs: Jodi Wilson. Recipes are sent by the publisher and not retested by us.

This is a recipe that Sumayya shared as part of her guide to Pakistani cuisine. Check it out to learn about the aromatic flavours of this diverse South Asian country, including Sumayya's recipe for prawn karahi and street-side kulfi.

Try Sumayya's bundoo Khan-style chicken boti tikka, then check out our chicken tikka masala, chicken tikka burritos, paneer tikka masala and tofu tikka masala.


Bundoo Khan-style chicken boti tikka recipe

Ingredients

  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp crushed black peppercorns
  • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan and ground
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan and ground
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp unsmoked paprika
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2½cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 4 skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil

TAMARIND CHUTNEY

  • 100g dried tamarind
  • 4 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan
  • ½ tsp crushed black peppercorns
  • ½ tsp chilli powder

TO SERVE

  • basmati rice or naan

Method

  • STEP 1

    In a large bowl, mix the spices, garlic, ginger and salt with the lemon juice. Add the chicken and coat well, then leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hr but preferably overnight. Meanwhile, soak six bamboo skewers in water and make the chutney. Put the tamarind into a small pan with 150ml of water, the sugar, spices and 1 tsp of salt. Bring to the boil and stir for 10-15 mins, or until the tamarind breaks up and the sugar and salt have dissolved. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding the tamarind seeds and cumin seeds.

  • STEP 2

    Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Thread about four chicken pieces onto each skewer, then put on the baking tray. Brush the chicken with oil and cook for 20-25 mins or until the chicken is brown around the edges and cooked through. Serve hot with the bowl of chutney alongside and your choice of basmati rice or naan.

Authors

Sumayya Usmani profile
Sumayya UsmaniFood writer

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