Chicken Tikka Masala

This is one of the top most favorites on my dinner table. Chicken Tikkas are the small bite sized chicken pieces marinated with some selected spices and grilled in Tandoor or conventional oven. When these delicious tikkas are cooked through the creamy gravy of tomato, onions and yogurt, you get the heavenly tasty Chicken Tikka Masala. Serve it on the bed of steaming rice or with any kind of Naan or breads, and it makes a perfect meal on your dinner table.

Although there are varied stories available about the origin of this mouth -watering delicacy, one of the most popular legends is that it was invented by an Indian or Pakistani chef of a restaurant in Great Britain. So, without getting into any stories, let’s concentrate on the making of this incredibly aromatic chicken curry and enhancing your cooking skill a little more.

The recipe includes 2 steps – first making the tikkas and then make the gravy and cook the tikkas into it.

Ingredients for Chicken Tikka Masala:

First step: Making the Tikka:

1.       Chicken breasts or thigh cutlet: 2 lbs.

2.       Full fat yogurt: 1 cup

3.       Ginger and garlic paste: 1 tbsp. each

4.       Turmeric powder: ½ tbsp

5.       Red chili powder: 1 tbsp.

6.       Garam masala powder: 1 tsp

7.       Salt to taste

Procedure:

1.       Cut the chicken into bite size cubes. Clean them nicely and pat them dry

2.       Take a large mixing bowl and put all the ingredients for margination.

3.       Now transfer the chicken cubes in it and keep them covered for 30 minutes to 1 hour

4.       Take baking tray and line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Now add the marinated chicken pieces in the tray and broil for 12-15 minutes. Check in between and turn them over if needed.    OR

5.       If you don’t have the oven, you can easily do the process in a skillet. Grease the skillet with little oil or butter and fry the chicken pieces till the turn brown on each side.

Second step: Making the Gravy:

1.       Onion (sliced): 1 cup

2.       Tomato puree: ½ cup

3.       Cinnamon sticks: 2

4.       Cloves: 3-4

5.       Cardamom: 2-3

6.       Cumin seeds: ½ tsp

7.       Bay leaf: 1

8.       Ginger paste/grated: 1 tsp

9.       Coriander powder: 1 tsp

10.   Turmeric powder:

11.   Red chili powder

12.   Garam masala powder:

13.   Salt and sugar: As per taste

14.   Heavy cream 100 ml / Evaporated milk 6-7 tbsp.

15.   Ghee / clarified butter: 2-3 tbsp.

16.   Cilantro: for garnishing

Procedure:

1.       If you are using a skillet to shallow fry the chicken, use the same skillet. Otherwise use a wok or pan and heat oil with some tampering by cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon sticks and bay leaf.

2.       Add the onion slices and fry them till translucent. Then add ginger paste and the dry spices.

3.       After stirring them for couple of minutes add the tomato puree and cook for another 7-8 minutes on medium to low heat. Add some water after few minutes to form a nice gravy and season with salt and sugar.

4.       Cover and cook for 5 more minutes on medium heat and then add the chicken. Cook them through the gravy for next 10 minutes and add some hot water if needed as the gravy should be thicken by then.

5.       After that add the heavy cream / evaporated milk (whichever you are using) and mix the entire thing nicely. Don’t cook the chicken for ling after adding cream/milk. Switch off the heat after 2-3 minutes.

6.       Add ghee on top and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot Chicken Tikka Masala on a bed of steaming flavorful rice or with Naan.