In Indian cooking, tikka refers to chunks of meat cooked on skewers.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 10 servings

　　3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted

　　3/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted

　　2 cups whole-milk yogurt

　　4 garlic cloves, chopped

　　1 (1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

　　3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for greasing pan

　　2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1/2 teaspoon garam masala (Indian spice mixture)

　　1/2 teaspoon black pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne

　　5 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

　　Accompaniments: mango and red pepper chutney and mint raita

　　Garnish: lime wedges

　　

Special Equipment

20 (12-inch) wooden skewers

　　

Step 1

Purée all ingredients except chicken in a blender until spices are well ground.

　　

Step 2

Put chicken in a large bowl, or divide between 2 large sealable plastic bags, and add yogurt mixture, stirring or turning to coat. Marinate chicken, covered and chilled (turning occasionally if using bags), at least 4 hours.

　　

Step 3

Soak skewers in water 30 minutes. While skewers are soaking, bring chicken to room temperature.

　　

Step 4

Preheat broiler and brush a broiler pan lightly with oil.

　　

Step 5

Divide chicken among skewers (about 5 cubes per skewer), leaving an 1/8-inch space between cubes, and arrange about 5 skewers across pan. Broil chicken about 4 inches from heat, turning over once, until browned in spots and just cooked through, 9 to 12 minutes total.

　　

Step 6

Transfer cooked skewers to a large platter and, if desired, cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Broil remaining chicken in same manner. Remove chicken from skewers and serve warm or at room temperature.