Boneless chicken marinated in a specific tandoori-spice yogurt mixture and grilled on a street cart's cylindrical charcoal grill — the Ludhiana street chicken tikka that is spicier and more heavily charred than restaurant versions, eaten with raw onion rings and green chutney.
Ingredients
600 g boneless chicken — thighs cut into 4 cm pieces (thighs only — breast is too lean and dries out)
For the marinade:
3/4 cup thick yogurt
2 tbsp ginger paste, 1 tbsp garlic paste
2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (for colour)
1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp besan (gram flour — helps the marinade stick and creates crispy patches)
2 tbsp mustard oil
juice of 1 lemon, salt
Raw onion rings, green chutney and chaat masala for serving
Method
Prepare the chicken: Score each chicken piece 2 to 3 times with a sharp knife — this allows the marinade to penetrate deeply.
Make the marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients. The mustard oil gives the Ludhiana tikka its specific pungency. The gram flour in the marinade creates a slightly crispy coating during grilling.
Marinate thoroughly: Coat each scored chicken piece generously with the marinade, pressing it into the cuts. Marinate 4 hours minimum — overnight for the best result.
Thread onto skewers: Thread marinated chicken pieces onto metal skewers, leaving a small gap between each piece for heat circulation.
Prepare the grill: Heat a charcoal grill, barbecue or grill pan to very high heat. The street cart version uses charcoal — the charcoal smoke is part of the flavour.
Grill on high heat: Grill on high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until the chicken has significant char marks and the marinade is cooked.
Baste with oil: Brush with a little mustard oil during grilling.
Check doneness: Cut the largest piece — no pink inside.
Serve on the skewer: Slide off the skewer onto a plate or serve directly on the skewer.
Add the accompaniments: Scatter raw onion rings alongside. Place a small bowl of green chutney. Sprinkle chaat masala over the tikka. Squeeze lemon generously.
Note: The street chicken tikka stalls of Ludhiana — particularly around the Chaura Bazar and Model Town areas — are among the most visited street food destinations in Punjab. The street cart version uses cylindrical charcoal grills called angithis where skewers rotate over hot coals, producing a smokiness impossible to replicate on a gas or electric grill. The mustard oil in the marinade is specifically the Ludhiana-Amritsar regional preference — it adds a distinctive pungency that distinguishes the Punjab tikka from its Delhi or Mumbai restaurant versions.