Chicken Tikka Masala

 

Chicken Tikka Masala

 

CHICKEN

  • 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2” pieces

  • 1/4 cup full fat yogurt

  • 1 ½ tablespoons garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 ½ tablespoons ginger, grated

  • 1 serrano, finely chopped

  • 3 tsp paprika

  • ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder (optional)

  • 1 ½ tsp garam masala

  • 3 tsp coriander powder

  • 1/4 tsp saffron

  • 1 1/4 tsp salt

CURRY

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2” cinnamon stick

  • 15 cardamom pods

  • 15 cloves

  • 1 onion finely chopped

  • 2 ½ tablespoons chopped ginger

  • 1 serrano, sliced lengthwise

  • ½ tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika

  • 1 ½ tsp garam masala

  • 6 oz tomato paste

  • 1 1/4 tsp salt (more or less to your liking)

  • 16 oz heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • ½ tablespoon Kasuri methi

  • ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add all ingredients except chicken under the "Chicken" heading into a bowl and mix till fully combined to make a marinade.

  2. Add chicken to the marinade and mix till completely coated.

  3. Let this marinate in the fridge for an hour or overnight for more flavor.

  4. Place chicken in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 350 for 30 mins or until chicken is fully cooked.

  5. Once cooked, turn oven to broil and cook for 3 mins (this step is optional).

While the chicken cooks, let’s make the curry:

  1. Melt butter in a pan on medium heat. Add cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves. Sauté for 1 minute.

  2. Add onions & sauté till they’re soft and light brown in color - approx 10 mins.

  3. Add ginger & Serrano pepper and cook for another minute.

  4. Add all spices, salt and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 mins till the mixture turns a deep red color.

  5. Add heavy cream, continuously mixing to make sure everything is well combined. Let this simmer for 5 mins.

  6. Stir in honey & kasuri methi. At this stage add more salt if needed. If you feel the curry is too thick, add a little water to thin it out.

  7. Add cooked chicken, mix and let simmer for 5-10 mins.

  8. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and serve with rice or naan.

*Note: You can also skewer your chicken and grill them or pan fry them. Once your chicken is baked you can use this on salads, wraps or eat it on its own. You can make extra curry and keep it in the freezer. Just reheat on the stove when you’re ready to eat. You can add paneer or veggies to the curry for a vegetarian option.