This one’s not your usual butter chicken, it’s cooked over charcoals making it smoky, tender and insanely delicious. Inspired by Meherwan Irani’s visit to Aslam Chicken in Old Delhi, this recipe is all about bold spices and charred chicken. It’s messy, rich, and absolutely worth the effort. Get your skewers ready and maybe don’t wear a white T-shirt.
Category
Dinner
Servings
6-8
Prep time
2 hours
This one’s not your usual butter chicken, it’s cooked over charcoals making it smoky, tender and insanely delicious. Inspired by Meherwan Irani’s visit to Aslam Chicken in Old Delhi, this recipe is all about bold spices and charred chicken. It’s messy, rich, and absolutely worth the effort. Get your skewers ready and maybe don’t wear a white T-shirt.
Ingredients
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2 tsp sea salt
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2 tsp garam masala
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1½ tsp ground cumin
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2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
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1 tsp ground coriander
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1 tsp ground Kasoori Methi
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½ tsp ground cinnamon
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½ tsp ground cloves
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½ tsp ground turmeric
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2kg (4.4 lbs) chicken thighs, bone in
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300g Greek yoghurt
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3 tbsp (60ml) peanut oil
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juice of 1 lemon
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250ml (1 cup) cream
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125g butter
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naan, to serve
Directions
Prep the marinade
Combine the garam masala, cumin, Kashmiri, coriander, Kasoori Methi, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric. Mix until well combined, then set one third of it aside for finishing.
Combine the remaining spices with the peanut oil, salt and yoghurt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix through the marinade until completely coated all over. Add the lemon juice.
Cover the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Cook the chicken
Preheat a charcoal grill to high heat. Remove the top grill plate.
Using 2 long metal skewers, skewer the chicken pieces with the skewers roughly 5cm (2 inches apart). Thread 3 to 4 pieces of chicken onto the pair of skewers (depending on their length), then repeat with additional skewers and chicken.
Place the skewers over coals. (My skewers weren't long enough, so I used a rotisserie prong and placed it across the BBQ to rest the end of the skewers on - shown in video).
Cook for 16-18 minutes, turning over every few minutes to ensure an even char on all sides.
Remove from the grill and transfer the chicken to a tray.
Finish and serve
Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. Remove from the heat.
Melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat, until it begins to brown. Remove from the heat.
Slice the chicken off the bone and cut into large chunks. Divide the chicken between serving bowls.
Sprinkle some of the remaining spice mixture over each serving then pour over the cream. Gently toss together, then drizzle with the melted butter. Serve with flat bread or naan.
Recipe notes
Cook support
Check the internal temperature of your chicken before removing it from the grill to ensure it is cooked through. It should reach 70°C (160°F)
Sourcing
Kashmiri chilli powder and Kasoori Methi can be found at Asian grocers and spice stores. Kasoori Methi is the dried leaves of the fenugreek plant.
Prep
The chicken can be made the day before so it can marinate overnight.
Storage
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days, then reheated slowly in the sauce.
Serving ideas
You can serve this simply with some flatbread or naan to mop up the delicious sauce, or serve it over a bed of steamed basmati rice with some fresh coriander leaves.
