Chicken tikka masala
This is our ultimate take on the national favourite, a comforting chicken tikka masala. Gather friends for an Indian feast and serve the curry alongside rice, parathas, raita and coriander.
In a hurry? Try our quick chicken tikka masala recipe.
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Serves 6
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Hands-on time 50 min, plus at least 4 hours marinating
Ingredients
- 6 skinless, boneless free-range chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
- Steamed basmati rice, paratha, raita and fresh coriander leaves to serve
For the tikka marinade
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp hot chilli powder
- ½ tsp hot paprika
- Pinch ground turmeric
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
- Juice 1 small lemon
- 150ml natural yogurt
For the masala sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 whole star anise
- Large pinch ground turmeric
- 5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
- 25g ground almonds
- 275g ripe baby plum tomatoes, halved
- Large pinch caster sugar
- 200ml chicken stock, hot
- 200ml tomato passata
- 150ml single cream
You’ll also need…
- Metal or wooden skewers (if using wooden, soak in water for 30 minutes)
Method
- To make the marinade, toast the garam masala, cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Tip into a pestle and mortar with the chilli powder and paprika, then grind until smooth. Transfer to a non-metallic bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken, mix to coat, then cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
- For the sauce, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for 10 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Add the masala spices and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
- Stir in the ground almonds, baby plum tomatoes, sugar and a splash of the stock, then cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have burst and made a thick sauce. Add the passata and the rest of the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whizz with a stick blender until smooth.
- Heat the grill to medium. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through and lightly charred.
- Return the sauce to the heat, stir in the cream and heat through. Stir the chicken into the sauce and serve with steamed rice, hot parathas, raita and coriander (see tip).
- Recipe from September 2018 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 312kcals
- Fat
- 12.1g (4.4g saturated)
- Protein
- 40.9g
- Carbohydrates
- 8.8g (6.9g sugars)
- Fibre
- 2g
- Salt
- 0.6g
delicious. tips
If you like added heat, serve the curry with a spicy mango or hot lime chutney.
Marinate the chicken (step 1) up to a day ahead. Make the sauce to the end of step 3, then cover and chill for up to 2 days. Or freeze the finished dish in a food bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge, then reheat until piping hot.
Pick a white with a ripe, rounded fruitiness – Aussie chardonnay-semillon blends work best.
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Not quite what I was imagining, but very tasty. Closest I have gotten so far to replicating my fav from the restaurants. Will be tweaking a bit to get even closer.
Absolutely loved this, very easy to make and very tasty