Karachi Chicken Tikka

Ingredients

• 1 kg murgh (chicken) (Bone-in pieces; tikka is traditionally bone-in for better flavour)
• 150 ml dahi (yoghurt) (Full-fat, hung yoghurt preferred — thicker marinade sticks better)
• 2 tbsp kashmiri mirch (Kashmiri red chilli powder) (The secret to Karachi's deep red colour — available at any Pakistani spice shop)
• 1 tsp lal mirch powder (regular red chilli powder) (For heat — Kashmiri mirch adds colour, this adds fire)
• 2 tbsp adrak lahsun paste (ginger garlic paste)
• 1 tsp zeera powder (cumin powder)
• 1 tsp dhania powder (coriander powder)
• 0.5 tsp garam masala
• 1.5 tsp namak (salt)
• 3 tbsp tel (oil) (Added to marinade to help conduct heat during grilling)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (Acid tenderises the meat and brightens the marinade)
• pinch food colour (orange/red) (Optional; Karachi restaurants use it for that signature colour — skip if preferred)
• 1 piece koyla (charcoal) (For smoking — non-negotiable for authentic Karachi tikka)

Instructions

1. SLASH THE CHICKEN: Make 2-3 deep cuts in each piece of chicken, almost to the bone. This is critical — marinade must penetrate to the centre or your tikka will be flavourful on the outside and bland within. HINT: The cuts also speed up cooking.
2. MIX MARINADE: Combine yoghurt, Kashmiri mirch (this is the colour hero), regular chilli, ginger garlic paste, all dry spices, oil, and lemon juice. Mix well — the marinade should be thick, red, and aromatic.
3. MARINATE OVERNIGHT: Coat chicken thoroughly, pushing marinade into the cuts. Cover and refrigerate for minimum 4 hours — overnight is the Karachi restaurant standard. HINT: The longer marinade time is what separates good tikka from great tikka.
4. BRING TO ROOM TEMPERATURE: Take chicken out 30 minutes before cooking. Cold chicken straight from the fridge cooks unevenly — the outside burns before the inside cooks.
5. GRILL ON HIGH: Cook on charcoal grill or under maximum oven broiler. Coal grill: 8-10 minutes per side, turning once. Oven broil: 12-15 minutes per side. The marinade should char in places — that's correct, not a mistake.
6. COAL SMOKE FINISH: Once cooked, place in a container. Put lit coal piece in a small foil cup, drizzle few drops of oil to make it smoke, place cup with chicken, cover tight for 3 minutes. This one step replicates the coal grill flavour at home.
7. REST AND SERVE: Rest 5 minutes. Squeeze fresh lemon, sprinkle chaat masala, and serve sizzling with naan and chutney.