Chicken Tikka Masala-How To Make Restaurant Style Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala recipe
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken breast pieces marinated in yogurt and spice mixture, then oven roasted and cooked in a rich, luxurious gravy. Arguably one of the most tastiest dishes in the world!
Equipment
- baking sheet
- sauce pan
- mixing bowl to marinate chicken
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 tbsp garlic chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger green chili paste
- 1 pinch garam masala
- 1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder mix
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
For the gravy
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil canola, peanut or any other veg.oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 pods cardamon cardamon
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp coriander-cumin powder mixture
- pinch turmeric
- 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
- pinch garam masala
- 1 tsp crushed dry fenugreek leaves
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- leftover marinade
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 6 ginger slices thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp strands of Saffron flower dissolved in warm milk Optional. Saffron is available at Indian and other grocery stores. This will enhance the flavors and perk up the color of the dish
Instructions
Chicken Marination
- In a mixing bowl whisk yogurt and add all the ingredients listed above for the marinade. Mix well, add chicken pieces, cover and marinade in fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. This will make the chicken pieces super tender & flavorful as they marinate in the acidity of yogurt, lemon juice and spice mixture
Precooking marinated chicken
- Preheat oven at 400 degrees. While oven is warming up, in a cookie sheet lined with aluminium foil add the marinated chicken pieces. Be sure to take them out of the fridge ahead of time so they are at room temperature. Set aside leftover marinade, that will become part of the gravy
Making the gravy/sauce
- In preheated non stick saucepan heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, swirl pan to coat evenly
- Add onions, saute for a minute then add garlic, bay leaves. Mix well then add tomato paste
- Saute mixture until tomato paste blends in and oil rises to the top. Now add butter, mix well then add rest of the spices/herbs listed in the gravy prep section above. Add leftover marinade to the saucepan, mix well
- Now add saffron that you have dissolved in warm milk to the saucepan
- Remove chicken from the oven after 15 to 20 minutes, making sure it has browned but not fully cooked. Add chicken pieces along with the juices in the baking sheet to the sauce pan, stir well and cook for about 10 more minutes
- Now add in half of the chopped cilantro , mix well, cook for a minute more
- Wallah your Chicken Tikka Masala is ready! Transfer to a plate, garnish with chopped cilantro and ginger slices and serve with hot Naan flatbread
Video
Notes
Chicken Tikka Masala tastes delicious even the next day and beyond, so do refrigerate any left over quantity, this way you can enjoy this awesome dish again!
Also, it tastes equally delicious with Basmati rice. Bon Appetit!
More Indian Recipes: https://gastrogurukitchen.com/category/cusine/indian/page/2/
P.S: Best compliment I received for making this dish: "I want to kiss the hand that made this dish"
