Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe No.: W-35

InternationalIndian75 minServes 4

Chicken tikka masala is said to have been born in Indian restaurants in Britain, but there is no documented agreement on its origin. The popular Glasgow story, in which a chef added tomato soup for a customer who found his chicken too dry, was later admitted by the men who spread it to have been made up as a joke. Others see it as a descendant of Delhi's butter chicken, credited to the Moti Mahal restaurant in the late 1940s. Today it is one of the best-known restaurant dishes of Indian cuisine worldwide, served with naan or rice.

Origin of the dish: Disputed: India (Punjab) or Britain — It is said to have been created in Indian restaurants in Britain, but this is not agreed

Ingredients for Chicken Tikka Masala

• For the marinade
• 700 gboneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into 4–5 cm cubes
• ⅓ cup(80 g) full-fat plain yogurt
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• 2 tspginger paste
• 2 tspgarlic paste
• 1½ tspsalt
• ¼ tspturmeric
• 2 tspKashmiri chili powder
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 2 tspkasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
• 1 tbspoil for basting the chicken
• For the sauce
• 2 tbspoil or ghee
• 2medium onions, chopped
• 1 tspginger paste and 1 tsp garlic paste
• 3tomatoes (about 400 g), chopped, or 1½ cups tomato puree
• ¼ tspturmeric
• 1½ tspsalt
• 1 to 2 tspKashmiri chili powder
• 1 tspgaram masala
• ¾ cupwater
• ½ cup(120 ml) cooking cream, or ½ cup cashews blended with ½ cup water
• 1 tbspkasuri methi
• ¼ cupchopped fresh coriander

Method

1. Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger and garlic pastes, salt, turmeric, Kashmiri chili, garam masala and kasuri methi in a bowl. Add the chicken and coat it completely.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavour.
3. Heat the oven to 200°C. Thread the chicken onto skewers or set it on a rack over a tray, brush with the oil and bake for 15 minutes, then switch to the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges char lightly. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
4. For the sauce: heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat and cook the onions for 10 minutes until soft and light golden.
5. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, turmeric, salt, chili, garam masala and water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Blend the mixture with a stick blender or in a blender until completely smooth, then return it to the pot.
7. Add the grilled chicken, the cream and the kasuri methi crushed between your palms, and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes until heated through and coated in sauce; add a little water if the sauce is too thick.
8. Adjust the salt, garnish with coriander and serve hot with naan or basmati rice.

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