Chicken Tikka Kebabs

The secret of good tikka is the balance of spices, but letting the chicken have plenty of quality time with the marinade is also essential. Doesn't have to be chicken either, the marinade goes well with chunky fish such as salmon or monkfish, as well as lamb or pork.

Ingredients:

8 chicken breasts, cut into medium sized chunks
350g St Helen’s Farm natural goats’ yogurt
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
10 cardamom pods
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 medium fresh chillies, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
20g fresh coriander, chopped
Juice of two limes
1teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dressing:

100g St Helen’s Farm natural goats’ yogurt
¼ cucumber grated and squeezed to remove water
10g fresh mint, finely chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Method:

Begin by crushing the cumin, coriander and cardamom in a pestle and mortar until you have a fine powder. In a large mixing bowl add the yogurt, crushed spices, turmeric, ginger, garlic, chilli, coriander, lime juice and salt. Stir well to combine.

Add the chicken, mix well so all the chicken is in the marinade. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for about 2 hours for maximum flavour.

Thread the chicken onto skewers as tightly as you can get them. Brush with olive oil and cook either on the BBQ or under a pre-heated grill for about 10 minutes turning frequently until nicely coloured.

To make the dressing simply mix the goats' yogurt, grated cucumber, mint, red onion and lime juice.

Serves 8

Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 2 hours marinating time

Cooking time: 15 minutes