What is chicken tikka masala? It is a dish of chunks of roasted marinated chicken in a delicious creamy spice-infused tomato sauce. Usually served with basmati rice and naan. There are multiple claims to its place of origin such as the Indian subcontinent and the UK. It is one of the most popular dishes in the UK.
The chicken tikka masala recipe is very similar to the Butter Chicken recipe.
How do you make this amazing dish at home? Well first we need to check what are the ingredients will be required to make this dish.
INGREDIENTS 1 – FOR MARINATION:
Things you will need to marinade the chicken:
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Boneless Chicken (cut it into bite sizes) – 700g
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Olive oil – 1 tbsp
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Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
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Ginger Paste – 1 tsp
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Natural Greek Style Yoghurt – 120g
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Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
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Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
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Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
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Paprika Powder – 1 tsp
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Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
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Garam Masala – 2 tsp
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Salt – 1 tsp
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Fresh Lemon Juice 1 tbsp
INGREDIENTS 2 – TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
Things you will need to make the sauce:
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Cream of Tomato Soup- 800g (2 cans of 400g available in most supermarkets)
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Garlic & Ginger paste – 1 tsp each
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Cooking Oil/ghee – 100g
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Butter – 50g
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Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
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Garam Masala – 2 tsp
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Coriander Powder 1 tsp
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Turmeric Powder 1 tsp
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Paprika Powder 1 tsp
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Cumin Powder 1 tsp
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Tomato Puree – 150g
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Lemon Juice 1 tbsp
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Salt 1 tsp
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Honey/brown sugar 1 tsp
INGREDIENTS 3 – FOR THE DRESSINGS:
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Double Cream 150ml
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Freshly Chopped Coriander
DIRECTIONS OF COOKING:
STEP 1: MARINADE THE CHICKEN FIRST:
Put the chicken In a bowl and add all the ingredients from INGREDIENTS – 1. Mix it well and seal it with the cling film and leave it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
STEP 2 – MAKE THE SAUCE:
Now let’s make the sauce. Use a non-stick medium or large cooking pot. Place the pot on the cooker and add 100g oil/ghee and 50g butter, 800g of tomato soup, garlic and ginger paste 1 tsp each, tomato puree 150g then turn on the heat to gas mark 5 for about 3-4 minutes then put it down to 1.
Then add rest of the ingredients from INGREDIENTS – 2. Mix it all gently and let it cook on a low heat for 10 minutes with lid on.
STEP 3: TIME TO PUT THE CHICKEN ON THE GRILL:
Here are two ways you can cook the chicken:
OPTION 1 – On Skewers. To experience the most delicious chicken tikka, grill the chicken on skewers to get the BBQ-like taste!
Preheat the grill on high heat for 10 minutes. Just prior to putting the chicken on the grill, you need to skewer the chicken – approximately 8-10 pieces on each one.
You can use the metal or wooden skewers. If you do use the wooden ones, soak them for a few minutes in advance to prevent them from burning.
Now place the skewers on top of the tray (lined up vertically). Place the tray in the center (height) of the grill and cook on maximum heat for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, take the chicken out and add them in the sauce you’ve prepared. Mix it gently and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then add 150g double cream and stir it gently then cook it for 5 minutes with lid on.
If you want to skip the skewers part – OPTION 1, then you can use OPTION 2 instead. This option is a little bit easier.
OPTION -2 – Non-stick Oven Tray. Like option 1, preheat the grill on high heat for 10 minutes. Use a non-stick oven tray, brush the tray with a bit of olive oil or cooking oil.
Now take the marinated chicken out from the fridge and place the chicken in the tray and spread it out evenly.
Put the tray in the grill on high heat and set the timer on for 15 minutes. Take the tray out after 15 minutes, flip the chicken and grill it for another 5 minutes (total 20 minutes).
After 20 minutes, take the chicken out and carefully (the tray will be hot!) empty the tray in the sauce that you have prepared earlier on. Mix it gently and let it simmer for the final 10 minutes.
FINAL STEP – DRESSINGS:
Prior to serving while the curry is still hot, add some freshly chopped coriander and 150ml double cream to your dish to make it look and taste delicious.
Now the question is, what would you like to have this tasty dish with?
