Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

• 份量: 6 servings
• 准备时间: 20 minutes
• 总时间: 1 hour

配料

For chicken

1½ lbs. (700 grams) chicken boneless (Preferably thighs, or breasts)

½ cup (120 ml) Greek yogurt (hung curd)

½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (use less for low heat, use 1½ teaspoons for extra heat)

1 teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon kasuri methi

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or ¾ tbsp grated ginger + ¾ tbsp grated garlic)

1 tablespoon oil (mustard oil if you have)

For Tikka Masala

3 tablespoons oil (or ghee)

1½ cups (150 grams) onions (fine chopped, 1x - 1 large or 2 medium)

1 green chilli (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or ¾ tbsp grated ginger + ¾ tbsp grated garlic)

½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (can use up to 1 tablespoon for extra heat)

2 teaspoons garam masala (adjust to taste)

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 to 1½ teaspoon cumin powder

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (adjust to taste)

1 ⅒ lbs. (500 grams) tomatoes (pureed/chopped or 10 oz., 1¼ cup tomato puree/ passata or 14 oz can peeled tomatoes, read notes)

1 cup hot water (double if using cashews)

1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

½ cup heavy cream/whipping cream (or 1x - ⅓ cup whole raw cashews, 30, refer notes)

For Garnish

3 tablespoons heavy cream (or any cream)

3 tablespoons coriander leaves (fine chopped)

步骤

Chicken Marinade

Cube chicken to 1 to 1½ inch pieces. Add them to a mixing bowl. Make sure there is no excess moisture in your chicken. If you want you may pat dry with a few kitchen tissues.

Add red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, salt, lemon juice, oil, ginger garlic paste, yogurt and kasuri methi. Skip the lemon juice if your yogurt is sour.

Mix well. Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for minimum of 8 hours and up to 48 hours. If you are in a rush, you may cut down to 3 hours.

Make Tikka Sauce

Heat oil or ghee in a pot or pan. Add onions and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt. Saute until deep golden.

Add ginger garlic paste and green chilli. Saute until aromatic, for 40 to 60 seconds.

Reduce the heat to low. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder. Stir well quickly.

Add the tomatoes and cook on a medium high heat until the onion tomato masala becomes really thick. (If using fresh tomatoes, it takes about 7 to 8 mins and tomato puree/passata takes only 2 minutes)

Pour hot water and mix well. Bring to a rolling boil and cover. Simmer until thick, for about 12 to 14 mins.

Optional - Cool down and blend to a smooth puree. Return it to the pot and heat up. This step cuts down the acidity from canned tomatoes.

How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala

Grill in Oven : While the gravy simmers, thread the chicken to the metal skewers or soaked bamboo skewers and place them in a prepared tray. Bake them in a preheated oven at 460 F or 240 C for 9 to 10 mins. Turn them to the other side with a tong and grill then for another 9 to 10 mins. To char the chicken, broil for 2 to 3 mins or until slightly charred.

Or In a Skillet: Pour 1 tbsp oil to a skillet and heat it well. Place the chicken tikka one by one, spacing them apart. Cook on a medium high heat for 3 mins, turn them to the other side with a tong and cook for another 3 mins, until charred and not essentially fully cooked. Remove to a plate and Cook in batches.

Or In the Air fryer: Thread on skewers and place them in the basket or in the tray. Air fry for 6 mins, at 400 F or 200 C. Turn them with tongs and air fry for another 6 mins. If they dry out, you may baste with marinade and continue for another 2 mins, until slightly charred.

After 12 to 14 mins of simmering the tikka masala sauce, add sugar and the cream (or cashew cream, check notes to make your own). Stir well and cook for a few minutes until thick, creamy and aromatic. (Check video for consistency)

Add the grilled chicken tikka and crushed kasuri methi. (Make sure your gravy has reached a thick gravy consistency/serving consistency, before adding chicken). Stir and cook for 2 to 3 mins until chicken tikka is soft and tender. Taste test and add more salt, garam masala and sugar if needed.

Turn off and garnish with cream and coriander leaves. Serve chicken tikka masala with Butter Naan, roti, paratha, Basmati rice or Jeera rice.

备注

You can start with chopped tomatoes if you intend to puree the sauce/gravy.

Avoid using Canned tomatoes with citric acid added to it.

Avoid using sour yogurt. If it is even slightly sour, avoid using lemon juice.

To make the cashew cream, powder cashews finely in a grinder jar and pour ⅓ cup water to it. Grind to a smooth thick creamy paste. You will get half cup cashew cream. Later pour 3 tbsps water and swirl the jar and pour that as well to the gravy. If you do not have a powerful grinder, you may soak the cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 15 mins, grind them with the same water to a smooth puree. I have tried and both work equally well.

If cooking tikkas on the pan, they don’t need to be fully cooked but must be almost there. If you try to fully cook, they may dry out, turn hard and chewy.

To make this authentic Indian, add 1 bay leaf, 3 to 4 cardamoms, cloves, 2 inch cinnamon to the hot oil before sautéing the onions. Also add bell peppers and onions to the marinade before grilling them. Use mustard oil for the tikkas.

Make this ahead by splitting the recipe. Marinate chicken the previous night. Also make the gravy till the tikka sauce the previous day. The next day grill the tikkas and heat the gravy, add the cream and simmer. Later add the tikkas.

To mimic the smoky flavor of the Tandoor, you may smoke your chicken tikka masala. For that, Place a small piece of foil or a tall steel cup on the finished chicken tikka masala. Hold 1 to 2 inch piece of natural wood charcoal with a tong and burn it on direct fire until red hot. Later place it on the foil kept over the curry or in the steel cup. Quickly pour ¼ tsp ghee on the hot coal. Immediately cover the pot and smoke for 4 to 5 mins. For stronger flavor, add another ¼ tsp ghee on the coal and repeat the smoking. If you overdo this, it will have very strong smoky flavors, so be cautious. You may check my Dal Makhani video to see how I actually do it.

To make more servings, start with 2 cups of water if using cashews, (or 1 cup water if using only heavy cream). As you cook, add half cup more at a time only if required (for 2x & 3x). Taste test the gravy after cooking, onions should be tender and soft but not crunchy or partially cooked. If they are undercooked, pour more hot water and simmer until well cooked.

For 2x and 3x, double and triple the quantity of cashews and water for cashew cream. Cashews have a thickening property, if you reduce the quantity of water your curry won’t turn thick.

营养

• 卡路里: 483 kcal
• 总脂肪: 38 g
• 饱和脂肪: 12 g
• 不饱和脂肪: 23 g
• 反式脂肪: 0.2 g
• 胆固醇: 120 mg
• 钠: 728 mg
• 总碳水化合物: 10 g
• 膳食纤维: 2 g
• 总糖: 6 g
• 蛋白质: 26 g