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Chicken Tikka Masala

What is Chicken Tikka Masala?

Chicken Tikka Masala is a popular Indian-inspired dish made with marinated, grilled chicken (known as “tikka”) that is simmered in a rich, creamy tomato-based sauce spiced with a blend of traditional Indian spices. It’s beloved for its vibrant flavor, balancing heat, spice, and creaminess.

Key Components of Chicken Tikka Masala:

  1. Chicken Tikka: Chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder, then grilled or baked to perfection. Traditionally, this is done in a tandoor (a clay oven), but many recipes now use an oven or stovetop grill.
  2. Masala (Sauce): The sauce is typically made from tomatoes, cream, and a mixture of spices like garam masala, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. It’s often enriched with butter and has a creamy texture from the addition of heavy cream or yogurt.
  3. Tadka (Tempering): The sauce is the base of butter chicken but in the end a tadka of ghee, onions, tomatoes and spices is added to elevate the flavor even further!
  4. The Flavor: Chicken Tikka Masala is known for being mildly spiced, with a good balance of smoky grilled chicken and the rich, tangy sauce. It’s not as spicy as some Indian curries but can be customized to your desired heat level.

Origin:

Despite its Indian flavors, Chicken Tikka Masala is often said to have been invented in the UK by Indian or Bangladeshi chefs to cater to British tastes. It is a fusion dish that combines Indian cooking techniques with a more Western approach to sauces and creaminess. Some call it Britain’s national dish because of its popularity there.

How It’s Served:

Chicken Tikka Masala is typically served with basmati rice or naan (Indian flatbread), which complements its creamy and flavorful sauce.

Jump to Recipe

Lets Make it: Chicken Tikka Masala!

Link to watch the video: https://www.instagram.com/amateurprochef/

Flavor packed Tikka Masala!

Chicken tikka masala is a timeless dish, bursting with aromatic spices and creamy goodness. If you’re looking for something that’s both exciting to cook and delivers restaurant-level flavors at home, this recipe will check all your boxes! Let’s dive into this delicious chicken tikka masala.

Marinate for the Magic

Start by prepping your chicken. Dice up two chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes and toss them into a bowl. Now comes the marinade—a key step to infusing flavor into your chicken. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2-3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 inch of crushed ginger, 2 teaspoons of red chili powder, 1.5 teaspoons each of cumin and turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.

Mix it all up! If you can muster the patience, let it sit in the fridge for a few hours (or even better, overnight!). The longer it marinates, the juicier and more flavorful your chicken will be.

Air-Fried Chicken: The Crispy Hero

Air frying the chicken gives it a beautiful texture without drowning it in oil. Set your air fryer to 380°F and cook those marinated cubes for 10 minutes. While the chicken gets crispy and golden, you can get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Chop Chop! Prepping the Veggies and Spices

While the chicken is air-frying, roughly chop 4 tomatoes, 3 red onions, 2-3 green chilies, 4-5 garlic cloves, a 1-inch piece of ginger, and a handful of fresh cilantro. You’ll also need some whole spices for the aromatic base of the curry: grab 1 bay leaf, 2 green cardamom pods, 1 black cardamom pod, and 2 cloves.

The Aromatic Base: Building the Flavor

Now, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Toss in the whole spices and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add your chopped onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Cook this mixture on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.

Next, add the tomatoes, a handful of cashews, and your cilantro. Pour in ½ cup of water and the following spices: a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 2 teaspoons each of cumin and coriander powder, 2 teaspoons of turmeric, 1.5 tablespoons of Kashmiri red chili powder, and 2 tablespoons of garam masala. Cover the pan and let everything simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes to develop those rich, deep flavors.

Blending the Gravy & Bringing It All Together

Once the sauce has cooked down and smells amazing, discard the bay leaf and black cardamom pod. Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend it until smooth. Now, you’ve got a silky gravy ready for the finishing touches.

In a clean pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and add 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons of red chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Toss in a finely chopped red onion and tomato, and let them cook for about 3-4 minutes. Once the ghee separates from the spices, pour in your blended gravy.

The Creamy Finale

To finish, stir in 2 tablespoons of butter, ½ cup of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of sugar (add more if you like it sweeter), and 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Lastly, toss in your air-fried chicken cubes and mix everything together.

You’re ready to dig into this creamy, spicy, and absolutely mouth-watering chicken tikka masala. Serve with rice or naan, and enjoy the flavorful journey!

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Chicken Tikka Masala
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Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe by AmateurProChef
Cooking time

50

minutes

Ingredients

  • Chicken breast – 2

  • CHICKEN MARINADE

  • Salt – 2 tsp

  • Yogurt – 2 tbsp

  • Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

  • Garlic cloves – 2-3

  • Ginger – 1 inch

  • Red chilli powder – 2 tsp

  • Cumin – 1.5 tsp

  • Turmeric – 1.5 tsp

  • Black pepper – 1 tsp

  • GRAVY

  • Oil – 2 tbsp

  • Tomatoes – 4 medium sized

  • Red onions – 3 medium sized

  • Green chillies – 2-3

  • Cilantro – 1 cup (including stems)

  • Cashews – 20-25

  • Water – 1/2 cup

  • GRAVY WHOLE SPICES

  • Bay leaf – 1

  • Green cardamom – 2 pods

  • Black cardamom – 1 pods

  • Cloves – 2

  • GRAVY SPICES

  • Salt – 2 pinches

  • Black pepper – 1 tsp

  • Cumin – 2 tsp

  • Coriander powder – 2 tsp

  • Turmeric – 2 tsp

  • Red chilli powder (Kashmiri) – 1.5 tbsp

  • TADKA – TEMPERING

  • Ghee – 1 tbsp

  • Red onion – 1 medium sized

  • Tomato – 1 medium sized

  • Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

  • Red chilli powder (Kashmiri) – 2 tsp

  • Turmeric – 1 tsp

  • FINISHING TOUCHES

  • Butter – 2 tbsp

  • Heavy cream – 1/2 cup

  • Sugar – 1 tbsp

  • Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi) – 1 tbsp

  • Salt – to taste

Directions

  • Start by dicing the chicken breast into bite sized cubes and adding it to a bowl. To marinate, add salt – 2 tsp, yogurt – 2 tbsp, lemon juice – 1 tbsp, crushed garlic cloves – 2-3, crushed ginger – 1 inch, red chilli powder – 2 tsp, cumin – 1.5 tsp, turmeric – 1.5 tsp, and black pepper – 1 tsp.
  • If you have the patience, let that marinate for a few hours in the fridge (preferably overnight).
  • Air fry the chicken at 380 F for 10 minutes.
  • Then roughly chop 4 tomatoes, 3 red onions, 2-3 green chillies, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 1 inch of ginger and a handful of cilantro.
  • Get the wholes spices ready – Bay leaf – 1, Green cardamom – 2 pods, Black cardamom – 1 pods, Cloves – 2.
  • In a pan heat up 2 tbsp oil and add in your whole spices and cook for 30 seconds to a minute or until aromatic. Then add in the chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Let that cook until the onions are translucent (soft). It will take 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally.
  • Go in with the tomatoes, cashews, and cilantro.
  • Add 1/2 cup of water and the spices listed here (Salt – 2 pinches, Black pepper – 1 tsp, Cumin – 2 tsp, Coriander powder – 2 tsp, Turmeric – 2 tsp, Red chilli powder (Kashmiri) – 1.5 tbsp, Garam masala – 2 tbsp).
  • Cover and let that cook for 20 minutes on medium low heat to build the flavors.
  • Discard the bay leaf and black cardamom and blend up the gravy till smooth.
  • Next finely dice 1 red onion and 1 tomato.
  • In the same pan (washed) heat up 1 tbsp of ghee and add in 2 tsp of cumin seeds, 2 tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp turmeric.
  • Add in the finely chopped onion and tomato, let that cook for 3-4 minutes (add more ghee if needed). Once the ghee starts separating from the spices, add in the gravy.
  • Finish it off with 2 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1 tbsp sugar (Add more if you want it sweeter), 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves and salt (add a little bit and taste, add more if needed).
  • Lastly go in with the cooked chicken, mix it up and
  • NOW ITS TIME TO ENJOY!

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