Chicken Tikka Masala

This was my first Indian dish! Back in college, my best friend's mom wrote down her own recipe for this dish. It became an instant hit!! I have been preparing it for many years and have tweaked it along the way to make my own version. Chicken Tikka Masala did not originate in India, but in fact it was developed in Great Britain, where it is now one of the national dishes. It is one of the most commonly ordered dishes in Indian restaurants around the world. The dish consists of Chicken Tikka in a spicy, creamy, tomato sauce. Chicken Tikka is chicken which is marinated in a red spice paste and cooked in a tandoor, which is a clay oven found in Indian restaurants. At home the chicken can be baked or broiled. There are many different ways to prepare this dish. I have written down my own recipe, but if you are creative in the kitchen, you can tweak the seasonings to your liking and make it your own.

INGREDIENTS:

For Chicken Tikka:

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp. grated ginger

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. + 1/2 cup yogurt

1 pkg. chicken (boneless thighs or breasts)

red food coloring

For Masala Sauce:

2 med. onions, sliced

1 stick cinnamon

3 cardamom pods

2 - 3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp. grated ginger

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1-3 tsp. garam masala powder

tomato puree

heavy cream

ghee

salt, sugar, turmeric

kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1. (Chicken Tikka) Put the garlic, ginger, paprika, salt, lemon juice and 2 tbsp. yogurt in a

blender and blend until smooth. Add this mixture to 1/2 cup yogurt and add some red food

coloring until you have a good red color. I use a powdered food dye which you can buy in

Indian grocery stores. Mix the chicken with the yogurt mixture and

marinate for a few hrs. or overnight.

2. Cook the chicken under the broiler until it is cooked. It takes about 10-15 minutes,

turning the chicken once while it's cooking. **After I take it out of the oven, sometimes

I take a propane torch to it to blacken the surface and add flavor like a tandoor oven.

This is not necessary, but will make the flavor more like a restaurant. Allow the chicken to

cool, then cut it up into cubes.

CHICKEN TIKKA:

3. (Masala Sauce) Heat two tablespoons of oil or ghee in a pan and add the cinnamon stick and

cardamom pods. Add the onions and fry a few minutes. Add the garlic. When the onions are

lightly browned, add the ginger, coriander and cumin. Fry for a minute or two. Remove the

whole spices (save them), add some water and blend until smooth in a blender.

4. Return onion puree to the pan, add back the whole spices. Heat until simmering. Add

tomato puree.

(From this point on, I don't measure, I go by the color and taste)

I add about 1/2- 1cup of tomato puree.

Add some turmeric (about 1tsp.) and garam masala (about 2 tsp.) Add plenty of salt (about

1 1/2 tsp) and a little bit of sugar (about 1 tsp.)

Stir in heavy cream (about a 1/4 cup).

I just taste the sauce and adjust the salt, sugar, and garam masala until it's just right!

Add some ghee or butter (at least 3 tsp.) Sprinkle in some kasoori methi and then add the

chicken pieces. Simmer for a few minutes with the chicken in the sauce, then serve. If you

keep it until the next day it will be even better :) If you need to thin out the sauce, just add

some water.

Chicken Tikka Masala goes best with plain basmati rice and some chopped

cilantro leaves on top.

#chicken #chickentikka #curry #indian