Warmly spiced with the flavours of cumin, coriander, cardamom, chilli and garam masala, you can use this marinade with chicken, prawns and fish. Marinate for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours in the fridge, and you will have incredibly tender and flavourful food which can be cooked on the barbecue, on the hob and possibly in the oven. Simple, healthy, delicious, stunning.

How to make Tikka Marinade

First, collect all your ingredients together:

chicken breast or thighs, fish or prawns
lemon, juice only
salt
plain yoghurt
red onion, peeled and chopped
cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
garam masala
paprika (for colour)
chilli flakes
Indian Spice Mix (OR a mix of garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, cardamom powder, chilli powder)
vegetable oil – if cooking in the oven or on the hob

Marinate the chicken/fish or prawns in the lemon juice and salt for 30 minutes whilst you make the marinade.

Make the Tikka Marinade

Put the remaining marinade ingredients in the food processor – the yoghurt, onion, garlic, ginger and spices and blitz until thoroughly mixed. Add to the chicken/prawns/fish marinating already in the lemon and salt and combine, making sure everything is thoroughly covered in the marinade. I find it is easiest to do this using your hands. Cover and leave to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge.

Cook

Cook your marinated chicken, fish or prawns as specified in your recipe. This is most likely to be on the barbecue, in the oven or on the hob.

Tikka Marinade

Warmly spiced with the flavours of cumin, coriander, cardamom, chilli and garam masala, you can use this marinade with chicken, prawns and fish.

Course Dinner, light supper, Lunch, Supper

Cuisine Indian

Keyword indian, marinade, tikka

Ingredients

400 – 600g grams chicken breast or thigh, fish or prawns
1 lemon, juice only
½ teaspoon fine salt

Marinade:

100g plain yoghurt
½ red onion, peeled and chopped (around 65g prepared weight)
16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
16g fresh peeled ginger, roughly chopped
1½ teaspoons garam masala
1½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ teaspoons Indian spice mix OR extra ½ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder, ⅛ teaspoon chilli powder (See Recipe Notes.)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil if cooking the chicken in the oven

Instructions

Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Mix the salt with the lemon juice in a glass bowl and add the chicken/fish/prawns. Mix well and leave on one side to marinade for 30 minutes.
Make marinade: put all the marinade ingredients in the food processor and blitz until throughly blended.
When the chicken/fish/prawns has been marinading in the lemon juice and salt for 30 minutes, add the marinade and mix thoroughly. I find it is easiest to use your hands.
Cover and leave to marinade for a minimum of a further 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Cook the chicken/fish/prawns in accordance with your relevant recipe.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

chopping board and knife
kitchen scales and measuring spoons
citrus reamer
food processor/blender
barbecue or oiled baking sheet (line with foil or baking parchment if your food is likely to stick on the tray) or frying pan or griddle
hot plate and foil to cover when resting the meat

Indian Spice Mix

See here for the Indian Spice mix recipe. Alternatively you can use:

extra ½ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
⅛ teaspoon chilli powder

Tikka Marinade

How to make Tikka Marinade

Make the Tikka Marinade

Cook