Chicken Tikka Masala

A community recipe by TimBris83

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

This is my version of the UK's favourite dish. The marinated chicken pieces are also fab cooked on the BBQ, I don't even bother making the tomato and cream sauce. I will admit that the recipe is a bit of a faff, but it is really delicious. Note- As usual all of my quantities are approximate

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Metric Cups

For the Chicken Tikka

4 chicken breasts (cut into chunks)

For the Marinade One

Maldon salt
1 medium lemon (juiced)

For the Marinade Two

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 red onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2½ centimetres fresh ginger (finely chopped)
1 red chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
chilli powder (to taste)
1 pinch of fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
1 tub natural yogurt

For the Sauce

2 red onions (finely chopped)
5 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
5⅛ centimetres fresh ginger (finely chopped)
3 red chillies (2 deseeded & 3 finely chopped)

For the Spice Mix

2 cans chopped tomatoes
water
1 chicken stock
tomato puree
½ lemon (juiced)
single cream
butter
vegetable oil
1 handful fresh coriander (to garnish)
2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
coriander seeds
cumin seeds
fennel seeds
cardamom seeds
turmeric
ground cumin
Maldon salt
paprika
fenugreek seeds

For the Chicken Tikka

4 chicken breasts (cut into chunks)

For the Marinade One

sea salt flakes
1 medium lemon (juiced)

For the Marinade Two

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 red onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
⅞ inch fresh gingerroot (finely chopped)
1 red chile (deseeded and finely chopped)
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
chili powder (to taste)
1 pinch of fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 tub natural yogurt

For the Sauce

2 red onions (finely chopped)
5 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 inches fresh gingerroot (finely chopped)
3 red chiles (2 deseeded & 3 finely chopped)

For the Spice Mix

2 cans diced tomatoes
water
1 chicken broth
tomato puree
½ lemon (juiced)
heavy cream
butter
vegetable oil
1 handful cilantro (to garnish)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
coriander seeds
cumin seeds
fennel seeds
cardamom seeds
turmeric
ground cumin
sea salt flakes
paprika
fenugreek seeds

Method

Chicken Tikka Masala is a community recipe submitted by TimBris83 and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Lay the chicken pieces flat in a dish, and stab them all over with sharp knife.

In a pestle and mortar grind the salt into a fine powder. Rub each piece of chicken with a little salt and then a liberal rub of lemon juice. Marinade in the fridge for 40 minutes.

Make the second marinade.

Heat a dry frying pan and add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds and heat gently until they begin to release their aromas, but do be careful not to burn them.

Once they are done transfer them to a clean pestle and mortar. Add fenugreek and Kashmiri chilli flakes, and grind to a powder. Bear in mind that the chilli seeds will not grind down fully.

Finely chop the onion and fry in hot vegetable oil until nice and toasty, about halfway through this stage add the garlic, chilli and ginger and cook out.

Empty the tub of yoghurt into a jug. Add the ground spices and the cooked onion mixture.

Add paprika and chilli powder and combine well. You should end up with a reddish sauce.

Pass the sauce through a sieve using the back and sides of a large metal spoon, ensuring you get out as much flavour as possible. Discard the remains.

Pour the sieved sauce over the chicken and marinade in the fridge for at least 4 or 5 hours, or preferably overnight. Make the spice mix.

Roast all the whole spices in a dry frying pan as before. Grind in a pestle and mortar. Stir in remaining spices. Make the sauce.

In a heavy cast iron casserole, fry the onion, garlic, red chillies, and ginger in vegetable oil in the same manner as before. Add the spice mix to this and allow it to cook out a little before adding the tomatoes and lemon and stock and a little water, letting each combine before adding the next. Bring to simmering point.

Turn flame to its lowest setting. Cover and allow to bubble away for about an hour and a half, or until the sauce is nice and flavoursome.

Taste the sauce throughout the cooking time, you may wish to add some more cumin powder, and be careful not to let it burn. If the sauce looks too liquid at the end of cooking, then cook it a little longer with the lid off.

Bake the marinated chicken in the oven. Just before it is ready add cream and butter to your sauce and ensure it is well heated. Pop the cooked chicken pieces into the sauce and serve with basmati rice and garnish of fresh coriander. Note:

For Kashmiri chilli flakes and fenugreek, you can buy a little tower of spices from a company called Adventurous Cook from Tesco supermarkets.