Hariyali Chicken Tikka is a popular North Indian appetizer featuring spiced chicken balls encased in spinach leaves, then fried till crisp. The chicken mixture is flavoured with fresh coriander, spices, and cheese for a tasty filling, while the spinach parcels turn shatteringly crisp when fried. Though it involves a few steps, this impressive snack is definitely worth the effort.
Sunrise tip: For the crispiest spinach coating, make sure the leaves are completely dry before dipping in the batter. Even a little moisture will make the spinach soggy instead of crisp.
Time: 10 minutes
Toast jaiphal, javitri, kabab chini, laung, dalchini, hari elaichi, shahi mirch and shahi jeera in a dry pan till fragrant. Let cool completely, then grind into a fine powder. Set aside.
Time: 20 minutes
In a kadhai, boil water and add chicken, chana dal, adrak, lehsun, dalchini, hari elaichi, laung, 1 tsp salt, and Sunrise Haldi Powder. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes till the chicken is tender. Drain and blend into a smooth paste once cool.
Time: 10 minutes
In a bowl, mix the chicken paste with coriander leaves, cheese, egg, 1/2 tsp Sunrise Kali Mirch Powder, Sunrise Jeera Powder, Sunrise Dhania Powder, Sunrise Lal Mirch Powder, 1 tsp special spice mix, and onion birista. Mix well. Divide into equal portions and shape each into a ball.
Time: 10 minutes
Mix rice flour with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp Sunrise Kali Mirch Powder and water to make a smooth batter. Dip each spinach leaf into the batter, shaking off excess. Sandwich each chicken ball between 2 batter-coated spinach leaves.
Time: 20 minutes
Heat oil in a kadhai. Once hot, add the prepared chicken parcels in batches and fry on medium heat till the spinach coating turns crisp and golden brown, around 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Arrange the Hariyali Chicken Tikka on a platter. Serve hot with hari chutney or tomato ketchup.
Accompaniment: Green Chutney, Tomato Ketchup