Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts (chopped into bite-size chunks)

120 ml (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt ( or thick natural yogurt (full-fat)

2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)

1 tbsp minced ginger

juice of half a lemon

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp mild chilli powder (or hot if you like it spicy)

1 pinch of cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil (for brushing onto the chicken before grilling)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion (finely chopped)

3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)

2 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp tomato puree (paste for US)

1 red bell pepper (de-seeded and sliced)

400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes

120 ml (1/2 cup) water

180 ml (3/4 cup) double/heavy cream

3 tbsp ground almonds

1 tbsp brown sugar

boiled rice

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

chopped fresh chillies (optional)

Directions

Place the chicken breast pieces into a bowl or freezer bag with the yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together so that everything is combined, then cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.

About 35-40 minutes before you’re ready to eat, start on the sauce.

Add the oil and butter to a large frying pan (skillet) and heat on a medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add the onion, and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.

Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, ground coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and tomato puree. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the spices to release their fragrance.

Add in the chopped red bell pepper, tinned tomatoes and water. Stir and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened (now is a good time to put your rice onto boil).

Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and spread out onto a baking sheet.

Brush the chicken with the oil, then grill for 8-10 minutes until a little charred on the outside. If your pieces aren't too big, you shouldn't need to turn them, but if they're not cooking through underneath, then give them a turn with some tongs. Make sure the chicken is cooked by slicing it into a larger piece and ensuring it's no longer pink in the middle.

When the sauce is nearly ready, stir in the cream, ground almonds and sugar, followed by the cooked chicken tikka. Cook for a further 5 minutes to heat through.

Serve with boiled rice and top with fresh coriander. Add a few chillies too if you like.

Nutrition

• Calories: 565 kcal
• Total Fat: 38 g
• Saturated Fat: 22 g
• Cholesterol: 179 mg
• Sodium: 558 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 15 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 43 g