Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala is a dish made of roasted chunks or tikkas of chicken in rich creamy spicy gravy. Some people claim that this was conceived in an Indian restaurant in London. But  there are other claims also. I leave it to Wikipedia. 

I got this recipe from my dear sister long back. She is a great cook. This dish is so yum, I can't stop licking my fingers :). No wonder it is among the most popular dishes in the world.  I have made the curry very mild. So please adjust the spices according to your needs.

Lets take a quick look at the recipe.

Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts- 1 pound cut into bite-size pieces

For Marinade:

Red chili powder- 1 tsp, adjust according to your taste buds

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder-1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Yogurt/ curd- 4 tbsp

Lemon juice- 2 tsp

Salt

For masala:

Onion- 1 large, chopped finely

Ginger, finely chopped- 1 tbsp

Garlic, finely chopped- 1 tbsp

Tomato puree- 1 cup

Coriander powder- 11/2 tsp

Red chili powder- 1/2 tsp, adjust spice

Pepper powder-1/4 tsp

Cumin powder-1 tsp

Milk- 1/2 cup

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Oil- 4 tsp

Butter- 1 tbsp

Sugar- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Heavy cream- 3 tbsp

Chopped cilantro or coriander leaves- to garnish

Method:

Combine ingredients for marinade in a large bowl and add chicken. Mix together and let it marinade for 30 minutes.

In a large pan heat butter and 1 tsp oil. Add marinated chicken and saute over low flame until chicken turn brown. Remove chicken and keep aside.

Heat remaining oil and add ginger and garlic, saute for a minute. Add in chopped onion and saute till onion turns translucent.

Throw in coriander powder, chilli powder, pepper powder, cumin powder. Saute until raw smell of the masalas go off.

Add pureed tomato, sugar and stir well and cook until oil separates.

Add chicken, garam masala and milk and cook on low-medium flame for 15 -20 minutes or until chicken cooked through and gravy thickens.

Add cream and check the seasoning, if needed add more salt, pepper or chili powder.

Remove from the flame and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve with rice/ naan/ chapati.

Note: 1) You can bake or grill the chicken in the oven. Skewer the chicken pieces without packing them together and grill or bake them until cooked. Turn them over half-way through the cooking time.

2) You can use water instead of milk, and can add cashew paste also to get a rich flavor. I avoided it since I used cream.

See you all with another yummy recipe!

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