Chicken Tikka Masala
Grilled chicken in a rich and creamy curry base!
Before I get to the nitty-gritty of the recipe, a little flashback on why this dish is so special in my life.
Of course, this is one of the most popular Indian curry dishes. A lot of my American friends love it. It is not super-hot, as it has cream in the curry base but really flavorful from all the rich Indian spices. Pre-baby, Suraj and I used to have people over all the time. We’d have parties for birthdays, Indian holidays, American holidays, even for super bowl. Although I have zero interest in the game, I enjoyed cooking and feeding people. This was one of my go-to recipes. Around the time that I started cooking, my friend Teena had started a blog and had this recipe. Thank you, Teena! I used her recipe for the first time and then over the years I modified and improvised, mostly according to what I had in my kitchen, also for the audience I was cooking for. You can find her recipe on her blog linked below.
A post on this dish would not be complete without mentioning a very close friend. At the time that Suraj and I were in grad school, we were friends with many international students, some of whom were hosted by local families for their first few weeks in the states. Judy and Paul from West Akron are one such couple, whom we adore and love from the bottom of our hearts, who hosted one of our close friends (Hi, Humayoon). Paul got to taste my Chicken Tikka Masala during a potluck dinner and he loved it. The same night, he had brought his famous cheesecake and guess what, I loved it more. Paul and I made a deal. He would give me his famous cheesecake recipe and I would make him this dish every time I go see him. Such a sweet deal! Now, I have his recipe (will post that for everyone, if he permits). Although we’ve moved out of Akron, we get to meet them every once in a while, and we always get such a warm welcome and share some good times over great food! This recipe goes out to you, Paul!
Now back to the dish.
Grilling the chicken before adding to this curry is a must for me. I have seen many variations to this recipe that skip this part to make it an instant pot recipe. It is a good modifier if you’re short on time. I highly recommend either shallow frying the chicken on stove top or baking them in the oven. I prefer baking in the oven as it requires less oil. Not that this is otherwise a healthy dish. Did I mention that it uses heavy cream for the curry base?
P.S. Remember to marinate the chicken for at least thirty minutes or if you have time, 5 to 6 hours or better yet, overnight in the refrigerator for best results.
Chili powder: We use two kinds of chili powders in this recipe for two very different reasons. Kashmiri chili powder imparts a vibrant red color to any dish with a hint of heat. Regular chili powder is more commonly used in Indian cuisine for heat. Paprika (very mild) and cayenne (very hot) are commonly used in Spanish, Mexican and American cuisines. So, if you do not have the Indian store chili powders, you can substitute paprika for Kashmiri chili powder and cayenne for regular Indian chili powder. Now that you understand your chili powders, you can increase or decrease the level of spiciness in the curry.
Turmeric powder: I always add turmeric to marinate meat no matter what the cuisine. Turmeric has concentrated levels of curcumin, a compound with anti-inflammatory properties. Adding a pinch of turmeric can aid your immune system and help ward off the common cold.
Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves): Dried form of methi or fenugreek leaves can be found in Indian stores under the label Kasuri methi. It is used for flavoring curries in Indian cooking. This adds a strong aroma and a distinctive flavor that appeals to the taste buds! This is added in the final step to preserve it’s aroma.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Blend yogurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cilantro, chili powder, turmeric powder, lime juice, salt and oil in a mixer. You can skip the oil if you wish to simply spray oil over the meat before baking.
Add the above marinade to the chicken pieces and mix well. Keep aside for a minimum of 30 minutes, or 5-6 hours to overnight if possible (longer marination for better taste).
Arrange the chicken pieces on the skewers about 1-2 cm apart. Place the skewers on a baking pan lined with foil. Generously spray oil over the chicken.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Turn the skewers, spray oil and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes. (You can use this time to start chopping and make the curry following the below directions.)
Take a pan and pour oil. When oil is slightly hot, add cumin and bay leaf.
Add onion, ginger, garlic, salt and sauté till golden brown.
Add cloves powder, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, coriander powder, chili powder and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and sauté till mushy.
Add garam masala, cashew nuts, lemon juice and cook for 1-2 minutes and switch off the stove.
Wait for the curry to cool down.
Blend the mixture with water, in a mixer, until it is a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan (you can use the same pan from before). Add the paste and roast it in the oil for 2 minutes.
Stir in heavy cream and mix well.
Add the prepared chicken tikkas into the mixture.
Sprinkle kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Close and cook for another 5 minutes. Let the tikkas simmer in the creaminess of the curry and absorb the rich flavors. Set it aside until you are ready to serve.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with naan, roti, fried rice or plain basmati rice.
You can find Teena's recipe here
Thank you for trying this with me!
I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #ttwmblog and I’ll be sure to find it.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Blend yogurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cilantro, chili powder, turmeric powder, lime juice, salt and oil in a mixer. You can skip the oil if you wish to simply spray oil over the meat before baking.
Add the above marinade to the chicken pieces and mix well. Keep aside for a minimum of 30 minutes, or 5-6 hours to overnight if possible (longer marination for better taste).
Arrange the chicken pieces on the skewers about 1-2 cm apart. Place the skewers on a baking pan lined with foil. Generously spray oil over the chicken.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Turn the skewers, spray oil and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes. (You can use this time to start chopping and make the curry following the below directions.)
Take a pan and pour oil. When oil is slightly hot, add cumin and bay leaf.
Add onion, ginger, garlic, salt and sauté till golden brown.
Add cloves powder, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, coriander powder, chili powder and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and sauté till mushy.
Add garam masala, cashew nuts, lemon juice and cook for 1-2 minutes and switch off the stove.
Wait for the curry to cool down.
Blend the mixture with water, in a mixer, until it is a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan (you can use the same pan from before). Add the paste and roast it in the oil for 2 minutes.
Stir in heavy cream and mix well.
Add the prepared chicken tikkas into the mixture.
Sprinkle kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Close and cook for another 5 minutes. Let the tikkas simmer in the creaminess of the curry and absorb the rich flavors. Set it aside until you are ready to serve.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with naan, roti, fried rice or plain basmati rice.