Name: Chicken Tikka Masala
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken parts, cut into serving size; 1 cup plain or Greek yoghurt; 1.5 tbsp minced garlic; 1 tbsp minced ginger; 2 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp tumeric powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground Kashmiri chilli; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp cooking oil; 2 tbsp butter; 2 small Indian onions, diced; 1.5 tbsp garlic, minced / grated; 1 tsp old ginger, minced / grated; 2 tsp garam masala; 2 tsp cumin powder; 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; 14 oz tomato puree / passata; 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder; 1 tsp red chili powder; 1 tsp salt; 10 oz heavy or thickened cream; 1 tsp brown sugar; 2 oz water; fresh cilantro / coriander

Chicken Tikka Masala

If you do not have garam masala available, you can follow this recipe to mill your own garam masala for the dish.

Happy Deepavali!

Author: Wokdiaries Cooking Method: Fry, pan-fry, stir-fry Cuisine: Asian, Indian

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Servings: 6

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

1. In a bowl, combine chicken parts with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade.
2. Leave it to marinate for 1 hour (or overnight if time allows). Marinating it overnight produced a juicier and more tender chicken after cooking.

Fry the chicken

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the chicken pieces in batches of two or three in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan.
3. Fry until lightly browned for about 2-3 minutes on each side (depending on the size and thickness of your chicken pieces).
4. Scrap up the brown bits leftover from frying the chicken and set aside.
5. Set aside and keep warm. You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.

Cook the chicken in the sauce

1. Melt the butter in the deep pan or wok. Fry the onions until soft and caramelised.
2. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander powders. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant. Stir occasionally to prevent the spices from burning. 
4. Pour in the tomato puree or passata, chili powders and salt. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour. 
5. Stir in the cream and brown sugar until well combined.
6. Add the reserved fried chicken with its juices and brown bits into the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Add in the water a little at a time to thin out the sauce, if needed. 
7. Garnish with cilantro (coriander). Serve with hot garlic butter rice and fresh homemade Naan bread or prata!

Chicken Tikka Masala