Warm Chicken Tikka and Cucumber Salad with Naan
Warm strips of chicken tikka and toasted naan over cool cucumber and red onion, dressed with a lemony yogurt vinaigrette. A high-protein, mildly spiced Indian-inspired plate that comes together in one pan.
- Total
- 16 min
- Prep 8 · Cook 8
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Emulsifying
- Savory
- Quick
- Indian
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Halve the cucumber lengthwise and slice into 5 mm half-moons. Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Put both in a mixing bowl.
~4 min
-
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, olive oil, salt and black pepper until smooth and pourable. Set the dressing aside.
~2 min
Whisking yogurt with oil into a smooth, pourable dressing creates a temporary emulsion so it coats the salad evenly instead of sitting in blobs.
Emulsifying Whisk the yogurt and oil steadily until fully smooth and pourable, adding the oil gradually so it disperses rather than pooling. If it looks separated or greasy, whisk harder before dressing the salad.
-
Set a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay in the chicken tikka in a single layer and sear until browned and hot through, about 4 minutes, turning once.
~4 min
Searing in a single layer over medium-high heat drives off surface moisture fast, so the chicken browns through the Maillard reaction rather than steaming.
Sear the chicken tikka in a single layer without stirring so it browns instead of steaming; crowding the pan keeps it pale and soft.
Searing Pat the chicken dry, lay it in a single layer in a hot pan, and leave it undisturbed until it releases easily and is deeply browned. Crowding or moving it too soon steams the meat and keeps it pale.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the chicken sears, tear the naan into bite-size pieces and toast them in the same pan around the edges until lightly charred, about 2 minutes.
~2 min
Toasting the naan in the seasoned pan dries its surface and chars it lightly, adding crisp texture and soaking up the chicken's pan juices.
Toast the naan in the same pan after the chicken so it soaks up the seasoned pan juices and picks up a little char.
-
Spoon half the yogurt dressing over the cucumber and red onion and toss to coat. Pile the warm chicken tikka and toasted naan on top.
~2 min
-
Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and serve right away while the chicken is still warm.
~2 min