Chicken tikka masala is a curry that’s made out of chicken chunks marinated in yogurt and spices, then baked in tandoor or oven. It goes well with roti / naan(a type of bread)/ rice. It’s a very popular curry that’s made in marriages or for parties. The spicy, flavorful, creamy curry makes it mouth watering.

Ingredients

For chicken tikka

Chicken boneless 2 fillets chopped into small 1 inch cubes

Yogurt 3 tablespoon

Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp

MDH tandoori masala 2 tsp/garam masala powder

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Lemon juice 2 tsp

2 tbsp butter

Salt to taste

For the gravy

2 medium onions chopped small

ginger ½ inch piece chopped into small bits or grated

garlic 3 cloves chopped into small piece, or grated

tomato 1 chopped

coriander 2 tsp

pepper 7-8

cashew 9/ fresh cream ½ cup

cinnamon  1 inch 2 pieces

cloves 4

chilli powder 1tsp

dry fenugreek leaves 2 tsp

butter 4 tb spoon

coriander leaves finely chopped

Chicken Tikka

Marinate chicken pieces with all other ingredients for 2 hrs. in the refrigerator. Bake it in the oven for 20 min at 400 degree f . Brush melted butter and flip the chicken pieces, bake for another 20 min. brush butter in between. If you don’t have oven, pan fry the pieces, use either cast iron skillet or non stick pan, use few more spoons of oil/butter. Set aside covered.

For the gravy

In a pan add butter 2 tbsp./ canola oil fry onions brown add ginger garlic grated, roast till the raw smell goes away, it takes about 3 min, take care not to burn, add tomato pieces and roast for 5 min.

In another pan dry roast coriander, pepper, cinnamon, cloves. Remove once coriander is light brown. Roast cashews and soak in hot water. Wait for 10 min to cool the onions.

Grind fried onions with dry ingredients to a smooth paste. Heat the gravy, add water to get correct consistency, add red chilli powder(reduce chilli powder to ½ tsp if you like it sweet), dry fenugreek leaves(Kasuri Methi leaves), Coriander leaves and a small blob of butter. Add cream if you want to avoid cashews. Add salt. If you don’t want to use cream, yogurt can be used(healthier option) in its place. Bring to a boil, add chicken tikka just before serving. Enjoy it with either naan/roti /flavored basmati rice.

copyright© Vinaya Pai. 2018