Description
The British-Indian curry of Chicken Tikka Masala made with spiced up roast chicken in a creamy tomato masala gravy. A mild curry big on flavor. #curry #recipe #chicken #Indian #British #chickentikkamasala
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
1 whole chicken (about 1–2 lbs/ 0.5–1 kg) or 1-2 lb / 0.5-1 kg of chicken breasts
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
2 green cardamom pods
1/4 tsp ground garam masala
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain full-fat yogurt
2 tsp ginger garlic paste (see note below)
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Masala Gravy
3 tbsp butter
2 onions (finely chopped)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 chopped finger chilies
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp paprika
1 can (400 g / 14 oz) of stewed tomatoes (crushed with your hands)
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of plain full-fat yogurt
Instructions
Break down the chicken into 2 wings, 2 chicken legs with thigh attached and 2 chicken breasts. Save the carcass and place in the freezer. You may want it later for stock.
Using a sharp knife, cut slits on the chicken pieces on both sides. This is to ensure a greater surface area in the chicken for the marinade to soak into. Place chicken in an oven tray.
In a food processor, combine cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, sea salt, sugar, cardamom, garam masala, yogurt, lemon juice and ginger-garlic paste. Grind together to form a paste.
Toss chicken pieces in the marinade. Make sure everything is evenly coated then cover and let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight.
When done marinating, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let warm up to room temperature. Roast in a preheated oven for 30-45 min at 450 F / 230 C. You want to cook it until it gives just a little bounce back. Try not to overcook it since it will cook for about 20 min in the curry gravy. So don’t be afraid of it being just a little bit undercooked because it still has more cooking to do.
While the chicken is roasting in the oven, start work on the masala gravy. In a large pot, saute chopped onions in butter on medium/ medium-high heat until onions are translucent and soft.
Add ginger-garlic paste, stir and cook for a minute or so until nice and fragrant then add chopped chilies.
Cook chilies for a minute or so then add turmeric and paprika. Stir together and cook for a minute or so just to activate the spice. Add crushed stewed tomatoes and water. Stir together and bring to a boil on high heat.
Once at a boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
After 10-15 minutes, all the flavors will have married together. Puree the gravy with a hand blender or transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Return mixture to pot and bring to a simmer on low heat.
Add roasted chicken pieces along with any juices leftover from the roasting pan. Stir together and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5-10 minutes to allow all the flavors to mix together.
Add yogurt and stir together. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with basmati rice.
Notes
Ginger-garlic paste is a staple in Indian cooking. You can buy this premade in a jar or make it yourself. Combine equal parts washed and peeled ginger with peeled garlic cloves (stems removed) and puree together in a food processor until a paste is formed. Add a splash of water or vinegar to help get things moving if need be. Place in a cover container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Category: Main, Chicken
- Method: Roasting, Simmering
- Cuisine: British Indian
Keywords: chicken, curry, chicken tikka masala, Indian spices, British, Indian, recipe, yogurt, ginger, garlic, onions