This delicious chicken tikka masala is so full of flavour and a hugely popular Indian favourite. After my recent trip to India, I wanted to revisit this beautiful dish to share with my family. It was a hit.
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Chicken Tikka Masala
This delicious chicken tikka masala is so full of flavour and a hugely popular Indian favourite.
I went on an incredible solo trip to India very recently, and the food was a highlight. The toasted spices used in the dishes made everything gloriously flavour-packed.
The majority of the meals I ate were Vegetarian. They were divine, and I felt righteously healthy (especially as I was also on a Yoga and meditation retreat in India). I was looking after my mind and body, and I really do feel I reaped the benefits immensely.
One night, though, I enjoyed a beautiful Chicken Tikka Masala. I shared my recipe for this last year with my RM Cooking Club, but since my return home, I have made a few tweaks.
Chicken Tikka Masala has a fascinating history. While its exact origins are debated, it’s widely believed to have originated in the UK rather than India. One popular theory suggests that it was created by Bangladeshi chefs in Glasgow or London in the 1960s or 1970s, possibly as a way to adapt traditional Indian flavours to the British palate.
The dish typically consists of marinated and grilled chunks of chicken (tikka) cooked in a rich, creamy, and tomato-based sauce infused with a blend of aromatic spices. It perfectly represents the fusion of Indian and British culinary traditions, reflecting the multicultural landscape of modern Britain.
Chicken Tikka Masala has become a staple in Indian restaurants worldwide and is often regarded as the UK’s national dish. It symbolizes the country’s diverse culinary heritage and transcends cultural boundaries, appealing to a wide range of palates with its rich and comforting flavours.
For this recipe to really shine, you need to ensure your spices are toasted and full of flavour. A good quality garam masala is really important too. I have shared my recipe for Garam masala with you also here today.
Here is my updated and very flavourful Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, which I am sharing with you today. I hope you enjoy it.
Nellie
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Chicken Tikka Masala
Serves 4 with sides
Chicken tikka masala
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan or use two if you want to brown chicken at same time as making the sauce.
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Cooks knife
- 1 Cooking spoon or spatula
- 1 cooks bowl for marinating
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs cut into cubes (approx. 600g)
Marinade for the chicken
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and finely diced or crushed
- 50 g ginger (a good thumb sized piece finely diced or grated
- 1 lemon zested & juiced
- 2 teaspoons of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of cumin toasted
- 250 g Greek yoghurt
- Sea salt
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 large brown onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic peeled and finely diced or crushed
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of smoked sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin toasted
- ½ teaspoon of ground cloves toasted
- 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
- 1-2 teaspoons of garam masala
- 400 g tin tomatoes crushed
- 400 ml water I use the empty tinned tomatoes tin for this
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 300 ml cream
- 1 chicken stock cube crumbled
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Serving suggestions
- Coriander leaves for serving
- Warm Roti or Naan bread
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in the marinade ingredients and leave for a minimum of 15 minutes, on the bench top. Alternatively, you can do this overnight and cover and place in the fridge. If you do this, just take it out of the fridge 15 minutes before you start cooking.
- Place a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a heavy based pan over medium – high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches to not overcrowd the pan. Leave the chicken for 2 minutes before turning to the other side. You want the chicken to get a little golden colour but it wont yet be cooked all the way through. Transfer the first batch to a bowl or plate & continue with the remaining chicken & add a little more oil to the pan, only if it is required.
- In the meantime, place a second large heavy based pan over medium heat. Add the oil & the butter. Once the butter has melted, sautee the onion for 5-8 minutes until it is has softened and is aromatic. Stir from time to time to ensure it doesn’t burn and cooks evenly.
- Add the garlic and salt and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add all of the ground spices. Toast these, stirring often for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and the water.
- Add the butter and the sugar. Once the butter has melted into the sauce, add the cream and stock cube. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add the browned chicken.
- Bring this up to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and cook for approximately 15-20. You can add more water (just a little at a time) if it is needed during the cooking).
- Turn off the heat. Taste & season to taste.
- Place rice in your bowls and top with the chicken tikka masala.
- Garnish with the coriander leaves when serving.
- Enjoy with steamed rice and or warm Roti or Naan breads.
Notes
No need to brown the cauliflower as you did the chicken. Add the cauliflower and the lentils just after the ground spices and then proceed as normal. Cook until the lentils are cooked through. Adjust liquid accordingly. Taste & adjust seasoning, if required
Nutrition
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