Recipe
Chicken Tikka Masala
Time: 45 minutes (plus marinating time)
Yield: 5-6 servings
For the chicken marinade:
| 28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 cup plain yogurt 1½ tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon ginger 2 teaspoons garam masala |
1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili (or ½ teaspoon ground red chili powder/cayenne) 1 teaspoon of salt |
For the sauce:
| 2 tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil 2 tablespoons butter 2 small onions (or 1 large onion) finely diced 1½ tablespoons garlic finely grated 1 tablespoon ginger finely grated 1½ teaspoons garam masala 1½ teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon turmeric powder |
1 teaspoon ground coriander 14 oz (400g) tomato puree 1 teaspoon ground red chili powder/cayenne (adjust to taste) 1 teaspoon salt 1¼ cups heavy or thickened cream (use evaporated milk for fewer calories) ¼ cup water if needed 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro or coriander to garnish |
In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight if time allows.
Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
Melt the butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
Pour in the tomato puree, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red color.
Stir the cream through the sauce. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, if needed.
Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
Omitted the 1 teaspoon of brown sugar from the original version of the sauce.
Adapted from https://cafedelites.com/chicken-tikka-masala