You can blame Chicken Tikka for being a pseudo starter that goes way beyond merely whetting your appetite and ends up giving you a gluttony guilt ride. The Pressure Cooker Chicken Tikka, however, makes up for that lacuna by fusing the tanginess of chicken tikka and wholesomeness of full-bodied chicken curry to become a dream-come-true fulfilling dinner meal. Does your appetite also yearn for trying something adventurous with the existing food options? Pressure Cooker Chicken Tikka is your answer. Boneless chicken pieces cooked in a pressure cooker with regular spices and a dash of new entrants like jalapeno and cornstarch with such simplicity and in no time is a rare gastronomical pleasure worth experiencing. The dish is a shout-out to those deterred from cooking chicken due to long hours spent roasting and prepping up the chicken gravy.
But where did Chicken Tikka originate from? It wasn’t from a faraway land and originated right here in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era. Today also, the dish is immensely popular in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is eaten usually with green coriander and tamarind chutney served with onion rings and lemon. It is closely similar to tandoori chicken, in its method of cooking. Coming to the term Tikka, it’s a Persian word which means bits or pieces. It is called Tike in Turkish. Historically, tikka meant small pieces of boneless chicken baked using skewers over charcoal or on a barbecue called angeethi after marinating in spices and yoghurt. It is eaten with addition and modifications in various parts of India. Punjabi cuisine considers tikka as a chicken dish. While in Kashmir, Chicken Tikka does not necessarily contain boneless pieces and is prepared by grilling over red-hot coals. As for the Pressure Cooker Chicken Tikka, it’s a relatively modern-day method created out of the need to enjoy home-cooked food in less time, while not compromising on taste in any way.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
• 2 cups boneless chicken cubes
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ⅛ cup jalapeno
• Water
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 cup yoghurt
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• Chopped coriander leaves
Method:
• In a pressure cooker, pour vegetable oil and heat it for 2 minutes.
• Add bay leaves, chopped garlic and ginger and sauté these for 2 minutes.
• Then, add chopped onions and sauté until a little translucent.
• Now, add the boneless chicken into the cooker and mix with the chopped ingredients.
• Pour tomato puree, add jalapeno and then introduce all the powdered spices into the chicken.
• Add salt to taste, and mix all the ingredients with the help of a spatula.
• Sauté it for a few more minutes.
• Pour 1 cup of water into the cooker, close the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes.
• Open the lid after the cooker is completely depressurised.
• Add 1 cup yoghurt to it and cornflour to it and mix well.
• Stir and cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes, until curry thickens a bit.
• Turn off the flame and pour in a serving dish.
• Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Now is your time to indulge in cooking and feasting your senses with both chicken curry and tikka treat in a matter of a few minutes. Eat it with roti or rice and cucumber salad.