Chicken Tikka Masala
A favourite at any Indian Restaurant, the classic Chicken Tikka Masala. Mild in heat, but full on flavour, this classic will be sure to please.
Chicken tikka masala is a dish consisting of roasted marinated chicken chunks in a spiced sauce. The sauce is usually creamy and orange-coloured. The dish was popularised by cooks from South Asia living in Great Britain and is offered at restaurants around the world
Chicken Tikka Masala
Equipment
- 4 Skewers Bamboo or Steel
- 1 Large Pan
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 Large Chicken Breasts
- 150 ml Plain Natural Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 6 cloves Minced Garlic Tube is fine
- 1 tbsp Minced Ginger Tube is fine
- 2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Mild Paprika
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin / Jeera Powder
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
Sauce
- 2 tbsp Cooking Oil Sunflower / Olive / Vegetable
- 500 ml Passata
- 130 ml Double Cream
- 125 ml Water
- 1 large Onion
- 4 cloves Minced Garlic Tube is fine
- 1 tbsp Minced Ginger Tube is fine
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin / Jeera Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander / Dhana Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Turmeric / Haldi Powder
- 1 tsp Mild Paprika
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
Rice
- Long grain rice
- 1 tbsp Curry Powder
- 3 inch Cinnamon Quills
- 2 Bay leaves
Instructions
Marinade
- At least an hour before making the main, marinade the chicken. Ideally you want to do this for 24 hours.
- Add 150ml of plain natural yogurt to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add the spices, garlic, ginger, salt and lemon juice and mix together.
- Dice the chicken in to large chunks ~1 - 2 inch cubes are perfect, then add to the marinade, cover with some wrap and leave in the fridge.
Cooking the Chicken
- Pre-Heat the oven to 270c / 518f / Gas mark 10
- Take the chicken out of the marinade, place on skewers and rest over the top of a baking tray. It's worth putting some parchment paper on the bottom of the tray to make it easier to clean. Space evenly apart and making sure there is a gap between the chicken and the bottom of the tray to ensure even cooking. If you are using bamboo make sure you soak them in water for 20 minutes to stop them burning.
- Place in the oven for 17-18 minutes, you want to gently char the edges of the chicken.
- Once cooked, place to one side while you make the sauce.
The Sauce
- Start by heating up a pan with the oil, use a medium high heat. Add the spices to a small pot / cup so you can cook them all evenly. Place the spices to one side for now.
- Slice then Sauté the onions for around 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger, cook for a couple of minutes being mindful not to burn the garlic
- Add all of the spices in, and stir for a minute or two, the spices should become very aromatic when they are ready. Be careful not to burn the spices.
- Add the tomato puree and passata and stir thoroughly, making sure all the spices are mixed into the sauce. Leave to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the 125ml of water, and 130ml double cream and stir in.
- Once mixed add the chicken and cook for a further 10-15 minutes while you cook the rice.
Rice
- Add 200g (50g per person) of Rice to a pan and rinse thoroughly until the water is clear, this removes the starch which causes the rice to become sticky when cooked.
- Add a 3" Cinnamon quill, 1 tbsp of curry powder and two bay leaves to the pan bring to the boil and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
- Once cooked, drain using a sieve, remove the bay leaves and Cinnamon, allow to cool for a minute before serving.
