Chicken Tikka Masala

October 13, 2018

Tikka masala is grilled tikka chicken folded into a creamy tomato and cream sauce spiced with garam masala, ginger, garlic and cardamom. The base dish is yoghurt-marinated chicken on skewers — tikka — but the sauce is what turns it into a substantial main course. The dish developed from the North Indian tandoori tradition in British-Indian restaurants, where it evolved into something richer and more sauce-heavy. It is now a fixture on restaurant menus across Britain and a popular weekend cooking project — a straightforward alternative to a takeaway.

The sauce is mild by Indian standards. The heat comes from chilli powder, which you can adjust to taste, while the cream and tomato purée give the roundness. Garam masala and ground coriander provide the depth. Everything simmers briefly and comes together into a red-orange sauce that clings to the chicken pieces.

The dish requires a batch of finished tikka-marinated chicken, either grilled over coals or cooked in the oven. While the chicken rests, you make the sauce in a pot. The chicken pieces are then folded into the sauce and everything simmers together for a few minutes so the flavours bind.

Serve with boiled basmati rice, chapati or naan, and ideally a squeeze of lime juice and fresh coriander leaves over the top.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Chicken

1 portion chicken tikka, marinated but not yet cooked
2 tbsp coriander leaves, freshly chopped
1/2 lime, juice of

Masala sauce

50 g ghee (or vegetable oil)
2 onions, thinly sliced
2.5 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 cardamom pods, crushed
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp chilli powder (to taste)
3 dl double cream
2 tbsp tomato purée
4 tbsp water, warm
0.5 tsp sugar
0.25 tsp salt

Garnish

coriander leaves, fresh
lime, sliced

Directions

The sauce

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pot or deep pan over medium heat.

Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Fry, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Do not let them colour — they should melt, not brown.

Add the cardamom, garam masala, ground coriander and chilli powder. Stir and fry for 1–2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.

Pour in the cream, tomato purée, warm water, sugar and salt. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring.

Reduce the heat and leave the sauce to simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, stirring regularly, until it has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and leave to rest while you cook the chicken.

Chicken and assembly

Grill or cook the tikka chicken as directed in the tikka recipe. Remove the chicken pieces from the skewers.

Place the chicken pieces in the sauce and warm over low heat. Leave to simmer, stirring, for about 5 minutes so the chicken absorbs flavour from the sauce.

Stir in the freshly chopped coriander and lime juice at the end. Season with salt and more chilli if needed.

Serve immediately, garnished with fresh coriander leaves and lime slices. Boiled basmati rice, chapati or naan alongside.

Notes

Active time about 20 minutes on top of the tikka chicken itself, which requires advance marinating and 15–20 minutes at the grill or in the oven.

The sauce can be made a couple of hours before serving and reheated when the chicken is ready. It thickens a little as it rests — stir in a couple of tablespoons of water or cream if it has become too thick.

The chilli powder controls the heat. Start with 0.5 tsp if you are unsure; you can always add more at the end.

Ghee gives a rounder flavour than vegetable oil, but both work. Butter also works but has a lower smoke point and can burn if the onions are left too long.

Leftovers keep for 2–3 days in the fridge and can be frozen. Reheat slowly over low heat with the lid on so the sauce does not split.