Jan 20, 2010

Chicken Tikka Masala

The chicken in this dish is kept separate from the sauce until the end to preserve its succulence.

Credit: Andr� Baranowski

1 tbsp. ground turmeric
4 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red food coloring (optional)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1  2 1⁄2" piece ginger, peeled and chopped,
   plus julienned strips for garnish
1 jalape�o, stemmed and chopped
1  28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts,
   cut into 1 1⁄2" cubes
1⁄4 cup Greek yogurt, such as Fage
Kosher salt, to taste
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. paprika
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Cooked basmati rice, for serving

1. In a blender, pur�e turmeric, 2 tsp. garam masala, coloring, garlic, ginger, jalape�os, and 1⁄2 cup water. Put paste into a bowl. In the same blender, pur�e tomatoes and strain through a sieve. In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp. paste, chicken, yogurt, and salt; marinate for 30 minutes. Place oven rack 4" from heating element; heat to broil. Transfer chicken to a foil-lined sheet tray; broil until cooked, 5–6 minutes; set aside.

2. Heat butter in 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add coriander and cumin; toast 4–6 minutes. Add paprika and onions; cook until soft, 6–8 minutes. Add remaining paste; brown for 5–6 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and 1 cup water; boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, 6–8 minutes. Stir in remaining masala and chicken; season with salt. Serve with garnishes and rice.

SERVES 6

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #123

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Ratings & Reviews (8)

by alex711x on 2009-09-15

Solid recipe, though I would say it is a bit heavy on the tomatoes. If you reduce the tomato by a 10-20%, the spices will come through with greater richness and the sauce will require a little bit less cream (to taste).

by missswiss on 2009-09-22

Tastes just like a good Indian buffet chicken Tikka Masala

by Cecile on 2009-10-04

Thought this had a great complexity of flavors. Ground the paste (minus the water) in my spice grinder and it worked pretty well. Used fewer tomatoes than called for but that's what I had on hand. It came out great, so I would agree with alex711x that tom's can be reduced with no ill effect. Will probably make this again.

by ANNAK727 on 2010-06-23

turned out really delicious! i used only 2 tbsp of butter but added 1/2 cup more of cream (to counter the acidity from the tomatoes... for sure, less tomatoes next time - should have read the reviews before i made it). added chili powder for additional kick and barbecued the chicken on an outdoor grill.

by joy2dream on 2011-05-30

My husband and I love this recipe. Simple and so delicious! To save time, I use crushed tomatoes. The food coloring, obviously, is not necessary and just doesn't seem right.

I double the recipe for plenty of leftovers. It's in my recipe box to stay.

by RUSLEY on 2011-05-30

this is a brainer at our house. i've never had tikka masala at a restaurant but after making this simple and delicious recipe at home so many times i think it would just be a disappointment.

by AEGIRINE on 2012-01-09

I agree that the tomatoes can be reduced by ~15%. This recipe is pretty good, but is too heavy on the onion. My guess is that you either need to use 1.5 onions or more likely, they need to be cooked longer. When I have cooked with Indian friends before, I am always amazed at how long they cook onions (sometimes 30 minutes or more). That said, paprika can scorch easily so next time I would add the onion for a few minutes and then add the paprika for the 6-8 minutes that the recipe calls for. This is also an incredibly mild recipe. I doubled the jalapenos and could barely detect any heat. Next time I'll use 4 or 5.

by rnelson on 2013-02-06

This is the best Indian chicken recipe at Saveur. Excellent.

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