Looking for a spectacular way to end your summer? Spend an enjoyable evening with Little India of Denver savoring the small morsels of chicken tikka, our featured dish of the season. Chicken tikka is a longtime favorite of all the Indian dishes that we serve. You might be wondering what makes it so special, well, let us tell you.
What Is Chicken Tikka?
Chicken tikka means small pieces of chicken prepared without bones. In fact, the word “tikka” means “small pieces.” This favorite dish is marinated in yogurt and spices before being cooked in a tandoor oven. The most significant difference between chicken tikka and chicken tandoori is that chicken tikka is first cut off the bones and divided up into small pieces.
Where Did Chicken Tikka Originate?
Chicken tikka grew out of the popular chicken tandoori dish that was being made thousands of years ago in traditional tandoor ovens. The story goes that emperor Babur didn’t want to choke on the bones in tandoori chicken, so he ordered that the bones be removed first. The resulting dish has become quite popular in its own right and is now considered something considerably different from tandoori chicken.
Chicken Tikka Dishes
As previously mentioned, tikka means “small pieces,” which indicates that chicken tikka is merely a way of cooking chicken. Just as tandoori chicken is used to make various dishes such as butter chicken, chicken tikka is also combined with different ingredients and sauces to create different meals. Here are a few of the varieties of chicken tikka that you can try at our Indian restaurant.
Chicken Tikka
The dish the way it was originally meant to be enjoyed: marinated in yogurt and spices and cooked in a tandoor oven.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Declared the national dish of Great Britain, this is simply chicken tikka smothered in India’s famous spiced masala sauce.
Chicken Tikka Saag
Saag translates to “spinach.” In this favorite dish, chicken tikka is served with finely chopped spinach, spices, yogurt, and tomato.
Chicken Tikka Korma
In this dish, the chicken, yogurt sauce, and spices are braised, bringing a unique cooking technique to this delicious variation.
The Best Indian Food in Denver
Whether you’re interested in trying chicken tikka for the first time, or you consider this delicious dish an old favorite, you won’t be disappointed when you order it at Little India of Denver. Known for almost two decades as having the best Indian food in Denver, we have two locations, East Sixth Avenue and South Downing Street. Visit us today!
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