Here's a recipe that's super easy to make, and completely worth the effort. Good Chicken Tikka Masala is unbeatable, especially when it's homemade. From the sauce, to the chicken, I'll show you what you need to make the ultimate version at home.
Prep Time | Cook Time | Serves |
20 Minutes + Marination | 1.5 Hours | 4 People |
Chicken Marinade
1.5lb (680g) Boneless skinless chicken thigh
1 cup (225g) plain greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic - grated
knob of ginger - grated
1 tbsp (5g) kashmiri chili powder
1 tbsp (5g) garam masala
1/2 tsp (.75g) turmeric
1 tsp (1.5g) coriander
Salt and pepper
Masala Gravy
600g whole tomato - diced
1 large red onion - sliced
6 garlic cloves- grated
1 large knob ginger - grated
1 green chile (OPTIONAL)
2 Cardamom pods
1/4 tsp (.5g) cumin seed
1 tsp (1.5g) coriander
2 tbsp (10g) Kashmiri chili powder
2 tbsp Kasoori methi (fenugreek)
1 tbsp (5g) garam masala
1 tsp (4g) white sugar
Butter for finishing
1/4 -1/2 cup (50g - 100g) heavy cream
Step 1: Marinade Chicken
Add your chicken to a large bowl along with the greek yogurt. Grate in 4 cloves of garlic, and 1 large knob of ginger. Season this with a lot of salt, kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, coriander, and cracked pepper. Give this a mix, cover this and let it marinade for at least a few hours, longer is better up to overnight.
Step 2: Broil Chicken
Place your marinated chicken on a wire rack over a sheet tray and brown this below a broiler set to low. Turn these every few minutes to ensure even browning. After 20-25 minutes, the chicken should be browned and cooked through. If it's not cooked through, don't worry, it can finish in the sauce. Once cooled enough to handle, cut these into large bite size pieces.
Step 3: Make Gravy
In a dutch oven, begin heating cooking oil over medium high. This could be ghee, or any neutral oil if you don’t have that lying around. Add your sliced red onion and season with salt. Cook these until nicely browned, but not yet caramelized.
Once they’re browned add in your cumin seed, cardamom pods, garlic, ginger, chile, kashmiri chili powder, and coriander. Toast these in the oil with the onions until nice and fragrant, probably a minute or two. Once toasted, add in your tomatoes along with about 300g of water, a little over a cup or so. No need to be exact, it’s going to be cooked down your preference later. Bring this up to a simmer and cook it over medium low uncovered for around 45 minutes. Be sure to stir this every few minutes just to be sure that the bottom doesn’t burn. Once the tomatoes have broken down, add them to a blender. Once cooled slightly, blend until smooth. Add this mix back into the same pot from earlier and reduce for another 10 minutes or so. Adjust the texture to be thick, but still sauce-y and spoonable.
Taste this for seasoning just to be sure the salt levels are right, then add in the chopped chicken. If your chicken wasn’t fully cooked yet, now is the time to finish it. Add in your garam masala, kasoori methi (fenugreek), heavy cream and butter. The cream is to taste and color preference. If you need to balance spice, add more cream and some sugar to taste.
At this point, you’re ready to dive in. Serve it with basmati rice or naan and enjoy one of the best comfort meals of all time. It's warm and hearty; perfect for the cooler weather.
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