Hariyali Chicken Tikka Is the Green Herb Recipe Worth Making at Home

Hariyali Chicken Tikka is one of the most vibrant and flavourful tikka recipes in North Indian cooking. The word hariyali means greenery in Hindi and the name comes from the striking green colour of the marinade which is built entirely from fresh coriander, mint leaves and green chillies blended into a smooth paste with yoghurt and spices. The result is a tikka that is herbaceous, lightly spiced and deeply aromatic in a way that the standard red tandoori marinade never quite manages.

The key to a great Hariyali Chicken Tikka is in the marinade and the marinating time. The green paste should be blended with as little water as possible to keep the colour vibrant and the flavour concentrated. Red chilli powder is intentionally left out of this recipe to preserve the green colour of the finished tikka. The chicken should marinate for a minimum of 2 hours and ideally overnight so the herbs and spices can penetrate deeply into the meat. Cook on high heat for charred edges and a juicy interior.

Hariyali Chicken Tikka Recipe

Serves: 3 to 4
Prep time: 15 minutes plus 2 hours marinating)
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 500g Boneless Chicken Breast, cut into large bite-sized cubes
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

For the green marinade:

  • 1 cup fresh coriander leaves and tender stalks, tightly packed
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, tightly packed
  • 3 to 4 green chillies, roughly chopped (adjust to taste)
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp thick plain yoghurt or hung curd
  • 1 tbsp fresh cream or cashew paste (for richness)
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp amchur (dry mango powder) or extra lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt

For cooking and serving:

  • 1 tbsp ghee or oil for basting
  • Lemon wedges for serving
  • Sliced red onions for serving
  • Mint chutney for serving
  • Chaat masala for sprinkling (optional)

Steps

  1. Apply the first marinade. Combine the chicken pieces with lemon juice, salt and turmeric. Toss well and set aside for 15 minutes. This first marinade begins to tenderise the chicken before the green marinade is applied.
  2. Make the green marinade. Place the coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, garlic and ginger in a blender. Add as little water as possible and blend to a completely smooth paste. The less water you add the more vibrant and concentrated the green colour and flavour will be.
  3. Transfer the green paste to a large bowl. Add the yoghurt, fresh cream or cashew paste, oil, lemon juice, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, amchur and salt. Mix well until everything is fully combined and the marinade is smooth.
  4. Add the pre-marinated chicken pieces to the green marinade. Toss to coat every piece thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. For the best flavour and colour marinate overnight.
  5. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. This ensures even cooking throughout.
  6. Heat a grill pan or non-stick frying pan over high heat until very hot. Drizzle with a little oil. Add the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer without overcrowding the pan. Cook on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes on one side without moving the chicken so it develops a good char on the surface.
  7. Flip the chicken pieces and baste with ghee or oil. Cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes on the other side until the chicken is fully cooked through and nicely charred at the edges. The internal temperature should reach 75 degrees Celsius.
  8. Remove from the pan and rest for 2 minutes. Sprinkle chaat masala over the top if using. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, sliced red onions and mint chutney.

Tips for Best Results

Use as little water as possible when blending the green paste. Excess water dilutes both the colour and the flavour of the marinade. If the blender needs liquid to run, add a tablespoon of yoghurt rather than water. The paste should be thick and deeply green.

Do not add red chilli powder to this recipe. Red chilli powder will discolour the marinade and turn the finished tikka brown rather than green. All the heat in this recipe comes from the green chillies in the paste.

Marinate for as long as possible. Two hours is the minimum but overnight gives a significantly more flavourful and deeply coloured result. The herbs continue to penetrate the meat the longer it marinates.

Cook on high heat. A high heat grill pan gives the tikka its characteristic charred exterior and juicy interior. Medium heat causes the chicken to steam rather than char and you lose the smoky depth that makes hariyali tikka so distinctive.

Baste with ghee while cooking. Ghee adds a richness and depth to the exterior of the tikka as it chars and helps the marinade caramelise beautifully on the surface. Oil works too but ghee gives a noticeably better result.

Hariyali Chicken Tikka is the kind of recipe that stays with you long after the first bite. The freshness of the herbs, the gentle warmth of the green chillies and the char from the grill come together in a way that is completely unlike any other tikka. Once you have made it at home you will find it earns a permanent place in your repertoire.

Order Zorabian’s Boneless Chicken Breast from shop.zorabian.com and try this recipe at home.

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