Chicken Tikka Masala
From: United Kingdom
Servings:
4-6
Difficulty:
Medium
Ingredients
- For tikka: 800g boneless chicken (breast or thigh), cut into 3-4cm pieces
- For marinade: 250ml plain yogurt
- 3 tbsp tikka paste (or homemade: 2 tbsp tomato paste + 1 tbsp garam masala + 1 tsp chili powder + 1 tsp cumin + 1 tsp paprika + 1 clove garlic minced + 1 tsp ginger minced)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- For sauce: 2 tbsp oil or ghee
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 400g canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream or coconut milk
- 1 tbsp sugar (to balance acidity)
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- MARINATE CHICKEN: Mix yogurt, tikka paste, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, salt. Coat chicken pieces. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
- COOK TIKKA: Grill or roast marinated chicken at 200°C for 15-20 minutes, or pan-sear over high heat 3-4 minutes per side until lightly charred and mostly cooked through. Set aside.
- MAKE SAUCE: Heat oil/ghee in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft and golden, 5-8 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger. Cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili. Toast for 1-2 minutes to bloom spices.
- Add crushed tomatoes. Simmer 15-20 minutes to reduce and thicken.
- Stir in cream and sugar. Simmer gently 5 minutes more. Season with salt.
- FINISH: Add cooked chicken pieces to sauce. Simmer 5-10 minutes so chicken absorbs flavors and stays tender.
- SERVE: Over steamed rice with naan bread. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with mango chutney on the side.