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Chicken Tikka Masala

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.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Marinade Time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: chicken, curry, spices
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

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
US Customary - Metric

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.
  • Heat a separate large skillet over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add about 1/2 of the marinated chicken to the hot skillet. Brown the chicken all over for about 3 - 4 minutes. You are not looking to fully cook the chicken at this point Add browned chicken to the sauce. Repeat for remaining chicken.
  • Stir the chicken into the sauce, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes until the chicken is fully tender and cooked. Add the cream and garam masala, stir well and simmer for about 2 - 3 more minutes.
  • 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.

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Tikka Masala
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 328 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 124mg41%
Sodium 390mg17%
Potassium 772mg22%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 35g70%
Vitamin A 1637IU33%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 71mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.