Chicken Tikka Masala
A classic chicken tikka masala, made completely from scratch! This curry is rich, creamy & absolutely jam packed full of flavour.
Servings: 6 Portions
Equipment
- Blender/Food Processor
- Pestle & Mortar
- Frying Pan
- Large Saucepan
- Baking Tray
- Stick Or Jug Blender
Ingredients
- 1 kg Skinless Chicken Thighs See Notes
Tikka Masala Paste
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1½ tbsp Garam Masala
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1½ tsp Turmeric
- 30 g Piece Of Fresh Ginger A 3" Piece
- 1 Small Red Chilli See Notes
- 8 Cloves Garlic Peeled
- 75 g Groundnut Oil Or Veg Oil
- Cold Water If Needed
Marinade
- 250 g Greek Yoghurt
- 50 g Tikka Masala Paste
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Table Salt
The Curry
- 2 tbsp Groundnut Oil Or Veg Oil
- 30 g Unsalted Butter
- 1 Large White Onion Peeled & Thinly Sliced
- 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
- Tikka Masala Paste
- 400 g Passata
- 250 ml Water
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 25 g Coriander Finely Chopped
- 300 ml Single Cream
Instructions
Tikka Masala Paste
- Add the coriander & cumin seeds into a frying pan then set over a medium-low heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until toasted & fragrant then transfer to a bowl & leave to cool slightly.
- Add the garam masala & paprika into the empty frying pan & set back over the medium-low heat. Fry for a minute, stirring frequently then tip into a separate bowl.
- Peel the ginger & chop roughly. Cut the chilli in half & remove the seeds then roughly chop as well.
- Next, add the toasted seeds, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, fresh ginger, chilli, garlic & oil into a blender then blitz until smooth. If the paste is a touch thick, add in a tbsp or so of cold water.
- Set 50 grams of tikka masala paste aside for the marinade then keep the rest in the fridge, for later.
Marinade
- Place the yoghurt, tikka masala paste, lemon juice & salt into a mixing bowl then mix together.
- Add the chicken into the marinade then mix, to coat. Cover the bowl with clingfilm then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 6.
The Curry
- Once your chicken has marinated, preheat an oven to 220°c/200°c fan (428°f/392°f).
- In the meantime, get the curry sauce on. To do this, first place a large saucepan over a medium-low heat & add in the 2 tbsp of oil & allow to heat up for a minute or two.
- Add the butter into the pan then once melted, add in the sliced onion with a good pinch of salt. Cook until soft & translucent, stirring regularly. This will take at least 10 minutes.
- Next, add in the tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes then stir in the rest of the tikka masala paste. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.Make sure to stir the onions frequently to stop them catching on the bottom of the pan!
- Stir in the passata & water then bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until you have a thick, well cooked out sauce. This will take 15-20 minutes.Use the water to rinse out any passata left in the container it came out of.
- Whilst the sauce is cooking, take the chicken out of the marinade, place onto a lined baking tray then bake in the preheated oven until just cooked through. This will take 15-20 minutes.Once cooked, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes or so, whilst you finish the sauce.A digital food probe comes in handy here! The chicken's internal temperature should be 75°c/167°f once cooked through.
- Add the honey & lemon juice into the curry sauce then season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add in half of the chopped coriander then blitz smooth with a blender.
- Stir the single cream through the sauce then set the pan over a medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer then cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened to your desired consistency.
- Whilst the sauce is thickening up, cut the chicken into bitesize pieces, discarding any bones. Then once the sauce is ready, add in the chicken, along with any juices. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until warmed through.
- Stir the remaining coriander through the sauce then serve immediately.
Notes
1. To Cook On An Aga - Use the simmering plate for every aspect of the sauce. Cook the chicken in the roasting oven, on the second from top set of runners.
2. Chicken - Make sure to use skinless chicken thighs for this curry. You can either leave the bones in & take them once cooked or take them out whilst raw, it's up to you!
3. Chilli - For a subtle kick of heat, I like to use a small red (mild) chilli but feel free to use a hotter chilli if you'd prefer.
4. Oil - For this recipe, you can use either groundnut oil or a vegetable oil like sunflower or canola oil will work as well.
5. Garam Masala - This is an Indian spice blend & is available to buy in most supermarkets.
6. Storage - Any leftover curry should be stored in the fridge & eaten within 3 days of being made. Curry can be reheated on the stove or in a microwave. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 75°c/167°f.
7. Blender - If you have a nutribullet blender, these are excellent for blitzing curry paste. Alternatively, a jug blender or food processor will do the job as well!
8. Passata - Passata is made of pureed & sieve tomatoes and is available to buy in most supermarkets. If you can't get any, you can blitz tinned tomatoes in a blender until smooth then pass through a sieve.