Chicken Tikka Masala
The principle British curry dish, enjoyed at curry-houses all over the United Kingdom. This takeaway restaurant recipe is the true essence of this British-Indian curry - sweet, saucy and glowing red!
Chicken Tikka Masala has a disputed origin, but nevertheless it made its home in the United Kingdom. Chicken Tikka Masala is a combination of various Indian cookery styles and techniques, all mashed together and made into something uniquely wonderful. The first Indian restaurants in the UK were actually staffed by Bangladeshi cooks, who projected their own affinity for sweet, aromatic and brightly-coloured sauces onto their understanding of Indian cuisine. Chicken tikka masala borrows elements from the Indian tandoori tradition of cooking meat, as well as a creamy, dairy-laden tomato gravy from the famous Delhi Butter Chicken. The real chicken tikka masala that the British grew to know and love goes like this: hunks of chicken, tonnes of sweet-sour sauce - not really spicy either - and it ought to be utterly scarlet red. The bright red colour really demands food colouring, but even without it, my recipe gets you as close as you can possibly get to natural crimson as you could want. What’s more, this is an incredibly simple dish with a high profit margin for many Indian takeaway restaurants, all thanks to its very straight-forward ingredients list. No bells, whistles or nuances, just a lip-smacking British curry that’s easy and fun to eat. This, in my experience, is the true essence of Chicken Tikka Masala and I’m excited for you to try it. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (serves 2x)
CHICKEN TIKKA
3-4 boneless chicken thighs, diced
2 tsps yoghurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or regular chilli powder)
MASALA SAUCE
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1x shallot, grated
2x cloves garlic, grated
1x thumb ginger, grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste/puree
50ml white vinegar (wine/cider vinegar can suffice)
2 tablespoons white sugar
150ml chicken stock
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
50ml evaporated milk or double cream
1-2 drops of red food colouring - optional
To serve: basmati rice, pilau rice, naan bread, roti
WALKTHROUGH
CHICKEN TIKKA
First we’ll make the chicken tikka. In a small bowl, combine the diced chicken thighs with 2 tsps yoghurt, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/4 tsp of chilli powder. Mix until combined and marinate for 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto a skewer, packing the pieces together tightly. Place the skewers onto a lined baking tray, or into an air-fryer basket. Roast/air-fry the chicken tikka at 200C for 12-15 minutes, until browned and crisp.
MASALA SAUCE
First we’ll temper the spices. Place a frying pan or saucepan onto medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1/4 tsp chilli powder. Fry the spices gently until foaming and fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
Add the grated shallot, garlic and ginger. Fry for until softened, about 30 seconds.
Add the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and fry on low heat until dark and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar followed by the 50ml of vinegar. Fry this mixture on low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook away the sting of the vinegar. It will initially smell quite strong.
Add the 150ml of chicken stock and 1/4 tsp turmeric, followed by 50ml of evaporated milk or double cream. If desired, you may add a couple of drops of red food colouring for the full chicken tikka masala effect, but this is optional.
Once cooked, add your chicken tikka pieces into the masala sauce. Heat the chicken through for 5 minutes to tie the flavours together. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if required, and more sugar or a squeeze of lemon juice to adjust the sweet-sour balance to your taste.
Serve your chicken tikka masala with basmati rice, pilau and/or naan bread. It’s also pretty great as a chicken pie filling, if you have any left over that is! Enjoy!
