Hariyali Chicken Tikka is featured in the menu’s of most restaurants all over India. As delicious as they are, they somehow get lost over the more popular chicken tikka and chicken malai tikka kebab’s. I love cilantro/coriander, and it happens to be one of my favorites, wait!! it is my favorite herb! No dish is complete without a little sprinkle of this aromatic herb in my dishes. So obviously, this hariyali chicken tikka, marinated in a tantalizing and flavor-packed cilantro marinade, have always been amongst my favorites!
What is hariyali?
For the uninitiated, Hariyali stands for green in Hindi, and murgh is chicken. So what’s in this hariyali paste? It includes;
Cilantro/coriander leaves Mint leaves Whole spices Ginger and garlic Cumin seeds Ground turmeric. You can add in other greens like spinach, fenugreek, scallion/spring onion greens, green bell peppers etc., also serves the purpose of sneaking in veggies to your fussy kids.
For this Indian style, green grilled chicken, add in whatever greens you like along with cilantro and mint and give this dish your own unique flavor. I’ve just stuck with cilantro and mint, added whole spices instead of ready-made garam masala for that extra flavor. These hariyali murgh tikka kebabs were juicy, succulent, with an intoxicating and delicious aroma, just like the restaurant ones.
If you are looking for a change from the regular chicken tikka, try this green kabab next time! If you love cilantro as much as we do, I bet you will love this recipe too!
You may also enjoy these Indian chicken starter recipes
Chicken Seekh Kebab Galouti Kabab Murgh (Chicken) Malai Tikka Chicken 65 (baked)
Let’s move on to make this yummy hariyali chicken tikka dry recipe!
How to make hariyali chicken (murgh) tikka – Step by step instructions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken (1st marination)
Transfer 400 grams of chicken chunks into a sufficiently large bowl, add 1 teaspoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and marinate for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Hariyali spice paste
Meanwhile, make the green spice paste. Transfer 1/2 cup of cilantro, 1/4 cup of mint, 1/4-inch ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 3 green cardamom, 1/2-inch cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, and 2-3 green chillies into the blender. Add about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of water, grind to a smooth paste.
Step 3: Marinate the chicken (2nd marination)
After the chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, add this ground green spice paste, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream/malai, 2 tablespoons of hung curd/greek yogurt, and 1 tablespoon oil to the chicken, mix well. Cover and let it marinate for about 4-5 hours or overnight for best results.
Step 4: Bake
Remove the chicken out from the refrigerator at least an hour prior to grilling. The chicken should be at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Skewer the chicken pieces, transfer to a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Bake for about 20 -25 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken pieces), turning once in between and basting with ghee until the chicken is cooked through. Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes to get that charred look. Serve hot with onion rings, salad, lime wedges, and a dip of your choice.
Note
Since this hariyali chicken tikka recipe is all about the green spice paste, you can add your own variations by including other greens like spinach, fenugreek, scallion/spring onion greens, green bell peppers etc.
★ If you try this easy Punjabi hariyali chicken tikka, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Thanks so much 🙂 You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter
