Chicken Tikka

In a large bowl, combine the coconut yogurt, grated garlic, grated ginger, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, garam masala, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, lemon juice, oil, and salt. Stir everything together thoroughly until you have a smooth, deeply coloured, fragrant marinade. Taste it — it should be bold, warmly spiced, and slightly tangy from the lemon. The coconut yogurt acts as a tenderiser, breaking down the chicken fibres during marinating and keeping the meat incredibly juicy during the high heat of grilling. Kashmiri chilli gives the characteristic deep red colour without excessive heat; substitute mild paprika if unavailable.

Add the chicken chunks to the marinade and turn to coat every piece thoroughly. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours — overnight is even better and produces noticeably more flavourful, tender results. When you are ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge 20 minutes before grilling to take the chill off. This ensures the chicken cooks evenly all the way through rather than charring on the outside while remaining cold in the centre. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto metal skewers or pre-soaked wooden skewers, leaving a small gap between each piece so the heat can circulate.

Heat a grill pan, outdoor barbecue, or oven grill to its highest setting — you want fierce, direct heat to replicate the tandoor oven effect. Brush the grill lightly with oil. Place the skewers on the hot grill and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the chicken is deeply charred in spots, cooked through with no pink remaining, and the marinade has caramelised onto the surface. If using an oven grill, place the skewers on a rack over a foil-lined tray and grill on the highest shelf, turning once halfway. The char marks and slightly blackened edges are not burning — they are the signature flavour of authentic tikka. Do not be tempted to move the chicken too early; let it develop colour before turning.

Remove the skewers from the heat and leave to rest for 3–4 minutes — this allows the juices to redistribute through the meat so every bite is succulent rather than dry. Slide the chicken pieces off the skewers onto a warm serving platter. Scatter generously with fresh coriander leaves and arrange red onion wedges and lemon wedges around the platter. Serve immediately while the chicken is hot and fragrant. The resting step is short but important — chicken tikka served straight off the grill without resting loses its juices the moment it is cut.