
Till Ka Tikka
Sesame-coated chicken skewers made from yoghurt-marinated thigh pieces, dipped in a green chilli batter, rolled in sesame and grilled until nutty and browned. They taste savoury, peppery and fresh from chilli and coriander.
Marinade spices
4.3 gMixed into the yoghurt marinade (step 2)Sesame coating
0 gUsed to coat the battered chicken (step 6)Everything else
Method
- Pound 12 g garlic and 4 g green bird's-eye chilli to a paste.
- In a large bowl, mix the paste with 45 g greek yoghurt, the marinade spices and 0.3 g salt.
- Add 600 g chicken thigh pieces and turn until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours, or overnight.
- For the batter, crush 12 g green bird's-eye chilli into a bowl. Add 60 g plain flour, 100 g egg, 4 g chopped coriander leaf and salt to taste; whisk to a thick batter.
- Heat the grill to medium. Line a baking tray with foil, set a wire rack over it and brush the rack with oil.
- Tip the sesame coating into a shallow dish. Dip each marinated chicken piece in the batter, then roll it in the sesame coating and thread onto soaked wooden skewers. Set on the wire rack.
- Grill on the top shelf for 6–7 minutes. Baste with melted butter and grill for 5 more minutes, until the sesame is nutty and brown.
- Slide the chicken off the skewers.
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Chicken thigh

Boneless chicken thighUse the same weight if boneless is needed; cooks 5–10 minutes faster than bone-in. Juicy and forgiving.
Chicken legUse the same weight; bone-in and larger, so add 5–10 minutes. Similar richness.
Chicken breastUse the same weight; much leaner and drier, so reduce cooking time by 5–10 minutes and do not overcook.

White sesame seed

Sesame seedsUse 100% of the weight. Toast lightly in a dry pan until fragrant; works identically in gravies, spice blends, and tadkas.
Poppy seedUse 80% of the weight, soaked in hot water and ground to a paste. Perfect for thickening kormas and royal gravies without altering the pale colour.
Black sesame seedsUse 100% of the weight. It has an earthier, slightly more bitter flavour and will dramatically darken the dish.

Butter

Unsalted butterUse 100% of the weight. If the original recipe relies on salted table butter, add a pinch of salt to balance.
GheeUse 80% to 85% of the weight. Ghee is pure butterfat with moisture removed; it yields a deeper, nuttier flavour and handles high heat better.
Vegetable oilUse 80% of the weight for frying or tempering. The dish loses sweet dairy richness but remains glossy and light.

Garlic

Garlic pasteUse equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.
Garlic powderUse 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.
ShallotUse 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Green bird's eye chilli

Bird's eye green chilliUse the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.
Green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.
Fresh green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Greek yoghurt

Hung natural yoghurtUse the same weight and whisk smooth; same thick consistency.
Full-fat natural yoghurtUse 1.25 times the weight and strain through muslin for 30 minutes; looser if not strained.
Hung yogurtUse the same weight; virtually identical.

Ground cardamom

Cardamom seedGrind the same weight; remove the pods first for a cleaner, stronger powder.
Green cardamom pod seedGrind the same weight of the seeds from green pods; discard the husks for the best flavour.
Ground green cardamomUse the same weight; it is the same spice and works directly.

Ground black pepper

Black peppercornUse 1:1 by weight; pulverise in a spice mill or mortar to a fine powder for immediate, punchy heat.
Coarsely ground black pepperUse equal weight; offers the same bite, though it gives a visibly speckled finish and firmer crunch.

Plain flour

Whole wheat flourUse the same weight, add 10–15% more water and rest the dough for 20 minutes; the result is heavier and nuttier.
Rice flourUse the same weight for crisp coatings; for doughs use no more than half rice flour with wheat flour, or it will be crumbly.
CornflourFor thickening use half the weight, mixed with cold water; it is not suitable for bread or chapati dough.

Egg

Chickpea flourFor binding, use about 10 g chickpea flour mixed with 20 ml water per egg and rest for 10 minutes. Denser and nuttier; not suitable for baking or coating in the same way.
Full-fat natural yoghurtUse about 30 g per egg for moisture and binding in koftas or fillings. Adds tang and softness; will not set or glaze like egg.
TofuUse the same weight, mashed, for egg-like bulk in curries. Soft and bland; add extra spices and do not expect it to bind.
Similar dishes

- Same: Murgh Malai Tikka shares chicken thigh, Greek yoghurt, garlic, green bird's-eye chilli, coriander leaf and butter with this dish, and both are grilled chicken skewers.
- Different: Murgh Malai Tikka adds double cream, cheddar cheese, ginger, malt vinegar, cornstarch and a garam/chaat masala dusting, but it lacks this dish's sesame coating, egg-and-flour green chilli batter, cardamom and black pepper.

- Same: Haryali Murgh Tikka shares with this dish chicken thigh skewers, a Greek yoghurt marinade, garlic, green bird's-eye chilli, salt and grilling.
- Different: Haryali Murgh Tikka has lime, mint, coriander leaf and stem, green bell pepper, ginger, turmeric, garam masala and chaat masala, while this dish has sesame seeds, egg, plain flour, ground cardamom and a green chilli batter coating instead.

- Same: Anardana Murgh shares chicken thigh, green bird's-eye chilli, coriander leaf and salt with this dish.
- Different: Anardana Murgh uses pomegranate powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander, ginger, garlic, onion and vegetable oil and is cooked with onions and stock, while this dish uses yoghurt, sesame, butter, flour and egg and is grilled.

- Same: Bohri Chicken shares chicken, garlic, ground black pepper, coriander leaf and salt with this dish.
- Different: Bohri Chicken uses double cream, ghee, lime juice, onion, ginger, mint and a dough seal and is braised under a lid, while this dish uses yoghurt, egg, flour, sesame, cardamom and green chilli and is grilled as skewers.






























