top of page

Grilled & Curried Favorites: Shawarma, Tikka, Curry, Biryani & Tandoori

This page features five of our most beloved dishes: Shawarma, Tikka Chicken, Curry Chicken, Biryani with Lamb and Tandoori Chicken. Scroll down to find full ingredients and step-by-step instructions for each recipe.

Shawarma

Serves 4–6

Ingredients
  • 700 g (about 1.5 lb) chicken thighs or beef, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Shawarma spice mix
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice or cardamom (optional)
To serve
  • Pita bread or wraps
  • Sliced tomato, cucumber, pickles, onion
  • Tahini or garlic sauce
Tikka Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 700 g (about 1.5 lb) boneless chicken pieces
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp oil or melted ghee
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Tikka spice mix
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1.5 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2–1 tsp chili powder (to taste)
Curry Chicken

Serves 4–6

Ingredients
  • 700 g (about 1.5 lb) chicken pieces
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 cup tomato puree)
  • 1–1.5 cups water or broth
  • Salt, to taste
Curry spice mix
  • 2–3 tsp curry powder or 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2–1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala (added at the end)
Biryani with Lamb

Serves 6–8

Ingredients
  • 2.5 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
  • 700–900 g (1.5–2 lb) lamb pieces
  • 3 large onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp ghee or oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro & mint
Whole spices
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
Tandoori Chicken

Serves 4–6

Ingredients
  • 8–10 bone-in chicken pieces
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2–3 tbsp oil or melted ghee
  • 1–1.5 tsp salt (to taste)
Tandoori spice mix
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2–1 tsp chili powder (to taste)

Shawarma – Instructions

  1. Marinate the meat: In a bowl, mix yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and shawarma spices. Add sliced chicken or beef and coat well. Cover and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
  2. Cook the meat: Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated meat in batches until browned and cooked through.
  3. Serve: Slice if needed. Serve in pita or wraps with tomato, cucumber, pickles, onion, and tahini or garlic sauce.

Tikka Chicken – Instructions

  1. Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, mix yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, oil, salt, and tikka spices. Add chicken pieces, coat well, and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
  2. Cook: Thread chicken onto skewers or arrange on a baking tray. Grill or bake at high heat (about 220°C/425°F) until cooked through and slightly charred at the edges.
  3. Serve: Serve hot with rice, salad, or naan.

Curry Chicken – Instructions

  1. Sauté aromatics: Heat oil in a pot, add onion and cook until soft and golden. Add garlic and ginger and sauté 1–2 minutes.
  2. Add spices: Stir in curry powder or the individual spices (except garam masala) and toast briefly.
  3. Cook chicken: Add chicken pieces, salt, and brown lightly on all sides.
  4. Build the sauce: Add tomatoes and cook until they break down. Pour in water, broth, or coconut milk. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Simmer: Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender and sauce thickens (about 20–30 minutes).
  6. Finish: Stir in garam masala at the end, adjust salt, and serve with rice or bread.

Biryani with Lamb – Instructions

  1. Prep rice: Rinse rice until water runs mostly clear, then soak 30 minutes and drain.
  2. Fry onions: In a large pot, heat ghee or oil and cook onions until deep golden and caramelized. Remove about one-third and reserve for garnish.
  3. Cook lamb: Add garlic and ginger to remaining onions, then lamb, salt, and whole spices. Brown well. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Stir in yogurt and ground spices. Add enough water or broth to almost cover the meat, cover, and simmer until lamb is nearly tender.
  4. Parboil rice: In a separate pot, boil salted water and cook rice until about 70% done. Drain.
  5. Layer: Reduce lamb sauce if very liquidy. Keep lamb mixture at bottom of pot, sprinkle with cilantro and mint, add a layer of rice, drizzle saffron milk, and top with herbs and some fried onions.
  6. Steam (“dum”): Cover tightly and cook on very low heat 20–25 minutes until rice is fully cooked and aromatic. Rest 5–10 minutes.
  7. Serve: Gently fluff from the side, garnish with remaining fried onions, cilantro, and mint, and serve hot with raita or salad.

Tandoori Chicken – Instructions

  1. Prep chicken: Score chicken pieces with shallow cuts so the marinade can penetrate.
  2. Marinate: In a bowl, mix yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, oil or ghee, salt, and tandoori spices. Coat chicken well, cover, and marinate several hours or overnight.
  3. Cook: Arrange chicken on a baking rack over a tray or on a grill. Roast or grill at high heat until cooked through and nicely charred at the edges, turning once.
  4. Serve: Serve hot with onion slices, lemon wedges, and naan or rice.
bottom of page