Name: Karachi-style chicken tikka (On the bone with red chilli masala)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: ½ dry-roasted coriander seeds; 1 tbsp sunflower or corn oil; ½ tbsp tamarind paste (or homemade pulp); 1 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp dry-roasted cumin seeds; 5–6 dried red chillies; ½ tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp freshly ground pepper; juice of 1 lime; 1 tsp each of garlic purée and grated ginger; 1½ tsp salt; 1 whole chicken, without skin, quartered

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
35 min

Appears in

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree

By Sumayya Usmani

Published 2016

About

As night descends on Karachi, the air is weighty with the day’s humid heat and wafts of coal smoke tempting anyone nearby with an aroma of red chillies and spices. Who can resist a fresh, hot chicken tikka? These are perfect with puri breads and green chutney.

Ingredients

5–6 dried red chillies
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp each of garlic

Method

Soak the chillies in warm water for 20 minutes, then drain. In a mortar and pestle, grind the red chillies with the salt. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chicken, and grind to make a marinade. Put the marinade in a bowl, add the chicken and turn until the chicken is coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, or overnight.

Light a barbecue or preheat a griddle pan