Everyone basically knows what chicken is, but what about “tikka”? In Persian, the word tikka means “bits and pieces”. Knowing that, and putting it all together, tells us what the recipe is all about…bits of chicken! In South Asia, namely Pakistan and India, chicken tikka is popular because of its simplicity. Small chunks of chicken are marinated in special spices, placed on skewers and grilled. Easy, right? This meal is so very simple to fix that some even say that it is the equivalent to the American hamburger.
Since chicken tikka is said to have the same popularity as hamburgers, there has to be some sort of variety, right? As time goes by and people want a more unique taste, recipes start to experiment with different spices. One recipe may have more “hotter” spices while another creation might have less of a kick. There are many, many combinations!
One version of this simple dish is chicken tikka masala. Chicken tikka masala is a tasty gravy dish that is prepared, basically, the same exact way as chicken tikka. The only difference is that after the chicken is grilled, it is placed into thick creamy gravy. The sauce usually consists of many different kinds of spices, but ingredients such as coconut cream are occasionally added.
The end result of placing the skewer in the gravy creates a very yummy, smoky flavor. Mmm…makes my mouth water just thinking about it!
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