Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the most popular Indian dishes in the U.K. and U.S. It is basically, roasted chicken chunks in a rich and fragrant red or orange colored sauce. Masala means 'mixture of spices' so there are a wide variety of masala recipes and the flavor of the dish can vary dramatically from one restaurant to another.
After extensive experimentation, I have come up with a recipe that I really love. It has a good amount of heat, but you can certainly play around with quantities and ingredients. Serve it over rice to soak up all that sauce.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks
Marinade:
6 ounces greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsps cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp ground ginger
Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps paprika
1 tsp salt
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsps cilantro, finely chopped
In a tupperware, mix together all ingredients for marinade. Add chicken and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for two to five hours. (If you're in a pinch, you can skip this and just cook the coated chicken right away.)
Cook marinated chicken in a medium skillet until no longer pink in the middle.
In a large skillet, melt butter and saute onion and garlic until onion is transparent. Add turmeric, cumin and paprika and stir constantly. Cook until spices become very aromatic (about 1 minute). Stir in tomato sauce, cream and salt. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken and cilantro and simmer another 10 minutes.
Servings: 2
