The ultimate comfort food to dive into this weekend! Chicken Tikka Masala brings all the flavour that you would expect from any great curry. It’s not a dish that can be rushed, so grab a drink and take a look! The proof is in the eating.
Make this chicken dish! I really don’t know what else to say about it, but it is a must make dish. I first made this dish I don’t know how many years ago. Oh yes, I remember it was October 1999. See I do remember. I also remember I was in Norway for a few months and cooking became my new best friend because I didn’t really know anyone. Another story for another day.
I was given a recipe by a friend to try out and I had all the time in the world, so I attempted Chicken Tikka Masala.
Okay, the chicken. Anyway, the recipe was a bit lengthy, involved with more ingredients that I thought possible. But I got on with it anyway. A quick trip to the local Spar and I was back home in no time at all with my very pricey chicken and all the essentials to get on with the dish.
Some hours later and a very messy kitchen, chicken was done and it was worth the work and the mess.
Over the years, I have played around with that recipe and made it what it is today here in front of you. I think this is the best possible version of that original recipe.
Notes About The Chicken Tikka Masala
- Marinade time – First, this chicken really needs marinading to get the most out of the flavour. I have made it in the past with a quick marinade and although it was good, it wasn’t great. So marinading the chicken is key. It can be done in as little as say 3-4 hours. Which might seem like a long time to hang around, but it’s a step you would do in advance and then come back to it later. I have even marinaded this overnight. So, if that works, do it that way.
- Cook on bbq – In the recipe below you will see that I put the chicken on skewers and seared them on the barbecue before adding it to the sauce. Ok, this really isn’t essential because it adds a step that many people will find a bit of extra work. However, if you have easy access to a gas barbecue, fire it up. It gives the dish that extra flavour that resembles a curry from say a tandoori oven. No lie! In the event you are not going to take on that step, here’s what you do.
- Cook in a skillet – Heat a large skillet over high heat and add a little olive oil. Sear the chicken in batches, You want to brown it so you don’t want to crowd the pan. So, just sear it long enough till the outside of the chicken starts to brown. then remove it from the pan and add it to the sauce. Then finish it off as you see in the recipe below.
That really just about sums it up. The rest is pretty self explanatory in the recipe below. Next time you feel like a curry, try this one and it won’t disappoint! Oh and it would go really great with my Homemade Chapati Recipe.
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Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 4 large chicken breast cut into good sized pieces
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 inch piece of ginger finely grated
- 2-3 Garlic cloves crushed
- 2 Teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon garma masala
- 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
For the Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- A few cardamom pods (6-8)
- 1 Teaspoon of dried cloves
- 1 Inch piece ginger grated
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons garam masala
- 1 small dried chilies finely chopped up
- 1 large can whole tomatoes
- 1 Cup vegetable stock
- 1/2 Cup cream
- 2 Tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 Teaspoon sugar
- Coriander leaves to serve
Instructions
- First marinade your chicken. Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and coat chicken completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours up to overnight. Remove chicken from the fridge about 1/2 hour before cooking.
- Split the cardamom pods open and take out the seeds. Add the seeds to the paprika, cloves and cinnamon. I used a pestle and mortar to grind the seeds into the powdered spices. Set aside.
- Make the sauce. In a large skillet set over medium to high heat add the olive oil and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned and soft. This will be about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, ground spices, and chillies. Stir and cook for a few more minutes. Add in the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, sugar and the tomato paste. Leave this to simmer until it reduces, about 30 minutes. Once it has thickened, transfer it to a blender until you have a smooth consistency. Pour it back in the skillet and leave over a very low heat and cover the pan.
- Put the chicken on large metal skewers and grill them on a barbecue for about 5 minutes per side. This will not cook them completely. I did this to give the chicken extra flavour. Remove chicken from barbecue and take it off the skewers. Add the chicken to the sauce and coat completely. Cover the pan and let it cook for a further 10 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked. Add the cream and garam masala to the dish now and stir well. Taste the sauce and if you find it a bit bitter, add a touch more sugar.
- Can be served immediately or even a few hours later. Goes great with Basmati Rice and Nann Bread.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!
