For something a bit more international, how about this classic that bridges British and Indian cuisine? Chicken Tikka Masala is a beloved dish found in Indian restaurants across the Western world, it’s actually a variation of the traditional Indian butter chicken that was modified by Indian restaurants in the United Kingdom. This amazing recipe is quite a bit of work, but trust me, it’s absolutely worth every minute you spend on it!
The dish consists of marinated chicken that’s traditionally roasted in a tandoor oven (though you can grill it or pan-fry it like I did, since not everyone has access to a tandoor oven in their home hehehe), then mixed into a spicy, creamy tomato and cream sauce. In my version, the sauce turned out a beautiful red-orange color, though you might notice that in many restaurants this dish has more of a brownish-orange hue, I suspect they add much more butter and cream, but I followed the classic recipe quantities exactly as written!
After tasting it, I can confirm it definitely tastes like a proper chicken tikka masala hehehe, the chicken was incredibly tender! When they make it in those traditional ovens, they create a crust on the chicken that makes it more aromatic but also a bit drier (since it’s essentially cooked twice), this way its kinda a big juicier, so let’s get to the recipe!
Authentic UK and India Chicken Tikka Masala
Nothing like making a restaurant style dish at home, this is a lovely recipe, for fans of indian cuisine, absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
- Chicken – 650g
- Yogurt – 200g
- Garlic – 4 Cloves
- Ginger – 1 Tablespoon
- Garam Masala – 2 Teaspoons
- Turmeric – 1 Teaspoon
- Cumin – 1 Teaspoon
- Chili Flakes – 1 Teaspoon
- Salt – 1 Teaspoon
- Cooking Oil – 2 Tablespoons
- Butter – 2 Tablespoons
- Onion – 1 Large
- Garlic – 4 Cloves
- Ginger – 1 Tablespoon
- Garam Masala – 2 Teaspoons
- Cumin – 2 Teaspoons
- Turmeric – 1 Teaspoon
- Coriander Seeds – 1 Teaspoon
- Tomato Purée – 350g (or Tomato Sauce)
- Chili Flakes – 1 teaspoon
- Cream – 250ml
- Brown Sugar – 1 Teaspoon
- Water – As Needed (for the sauce if it is too thick)
- Cilantro – 4 Tablespoons (Chopped, for Sprinkling)
- Salt – 1 Teaspoon
Directions
- The day before cooking, separate the chicken meat from the bones, try to cut the chicken pieces into roughly the same size so that they cook evenly, and place them in a bowl or airtight container.
- Then add 200g of yogurt, 4 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger, 2 teaspoons of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well, close the container, and refrigerate until the next day.
- The next day, add two tablespoons of oil to a large frying pan, allow to heat up and add the marinated chicken. Do not add too much chicken. Cook in medium heat just until browned on the outside, as you will be finishing cooking the chicken in the sauce. Cook over high heat, turning until browned, then remove from the pan.
- Once all the chicken is fried, add two tablespoons of butter to the same pan and scrape the bottom to separate all the good bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 3 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Then add the finely chopped ginger and garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add two more teaspoons of garam masala, two teaspoons of cumin, one teaspoon of turmeric, and one teaspoon of coriander seeds, mix, and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Next, add the tomato purée, followed by the chili flakes and salt, and cook for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes are completely cooked.
- Add the cream and a teaspoon of brown sugar, followed by the chicken, mix and cook over low heat until the sauce thickens and becomes velvety, between 6 and 10 minutes. At this point, you may need to add a little water if the sauce starts to get too thick.
- Finally, taste, adjust the salt and or spice, and serve with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro on top.
- And that’s it, bon appétit! This dish is usually served with jasmine or basmati rice with a touch of butter or garlic and of course some Indian naan bread ;D
The traditional approach for this dish is to use only chicken thigh meat. I used 1 breast and 4 thighs just to reach roughly the amount of chicken the recipe called for.
For the most authentic flavor, marinate overnight, don’t skip this step! The longer marination makes all the difference in tenderness and flavor penetration.
Adjust the red pepper flakes to your heat preference. Start with less if you’re sensitive to spice, you can always add more at the end.
The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. If it gets too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thin, simmer uncovered a bit longer.
This recipe for Authentic UK and India Chicken Tikka Masala was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Tikka Masala de Frango foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 675 calories; 45 g fat; 28.8 g carbohydrates; 38.8 g protein.Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how it turned out for you! Have you tried indian food before? Leave a comment below ;D
