Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala is the combination of Chicken Tikka (cooked chicken) + Tikka Masala (The Sauce).You can make this recipe from scratch or cut your prep, cook and clean up time by using Curry Starter and Tikka Masala Spice Blend both by Usha’s Kitchen. These mildly spiced products can help you make delicious 100's of traditional Indian dishes without all the work and without all the heat. Don't worry! Those of you that love you Indian food hot, hot, hot simply add one or more Serrano chili peppers to your dish when you begin cooking. This recipe will use both Curry Starter and Tikka Masala Spice blend by Usha's Kitchen to make Chicken Tikka Masala. It is easy, fast and tastes great!Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the most popular curry dishes in the world. It is most accurately described as succulent tender pieces of chicken floating in a velvety tomato cream sauce. It is the most popular dish in the UK and is a classic example of the fusion of Indian and British gastronomic that is enjoyed world wide. The most important thing you need to know about this recipe is that It is actually easy to make once you know how. Learn how to make it at home and savor the taste of this Indian delight at your own dinner table. Your family will thank you and you will be the hero chef d'jour for making it. Chicken Tikka (The Cooked Chicken) is the spiced tender pieces of boneless chicken found swimming in Chicken Tikka Masala Curry Sauce. Chicken Tikka is made by marinating boneless pieces of chicken in Tikka Spice Blend, lemon juice, salt, yogurt and olive oil. The resulting taste of Chicken Tikka is a savory blend of tangy and smoky with depth of spice that is warm but not overwhelmingly hot. Traditional Chicken Tikka is skewered and cooked in a clay oven or on a grill. Most people don't have a clay oven so in we will make this Chicken Tikka recipe on the stovetop – no marination time needed. If you have a grill, you can skewer the chicken and cook them on the BBQ which will give you the smoky flavor that will add an additional layer of flavor to your Chicken Tikka Masala. Getting the grill ready takes additional time so I save this for the weekend. If it is a workday, stovetop is my preferred method of getting the Chicken Tikka done in a timely fashion. Choose the method that best suits your timeframe. No matter what method you choose, your family will still love this meal. Tikka Masala (The Sauce) You can easily make Tikka Masala (The Tikka Sauce) at home using Curry Starter and Tikka Masala Spice Blend by Usha's Kitchen in 5 steps. This Tikka Masala sauce ready in 15 minutes. No chopping, no grading, and all the ingredients you need to get this recipe started in one jar..Curry Starter! Simply add Tikka Masala Spice blend, crushed tomatoes and water to Curry Starter. Done! Adding cream (half and half) is optional. You can do this!
Ingredients
Tikka Masala (The Sauce)
- 8 oz 1 jar Curry Starter by Usha's Kitchen
- 3 tbsp Tikka Masala Spice Blend by Usha's Kitchen
- 14.5 oz 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, or coconut milk
- 2 lbs Chicken Tikka (The Cooked Chicken) see instructions below
For Cooking Chicken Tikka (The Cooked Chicken)
- 1/2-1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2-1 tbsp butter
Marinade for Chicken Tikka
- 24 oz chicken tenders cut into bite size pieces
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp plain yogurt or half and half
- 2 Tbsp Tikka spice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil + some extra for cooking
Garnishes
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro optional
- 1 Tbsp butter
Instructions
Tikka Masala (The Sauce)
- Heat 1 jar of Curry Starter in large sauce pan on medium heat
- Add 3 tbsp Magic Masala and stir, reduce heat to low.
- Add 2 Tbsp water if the sauce is dry and sticking to sides
- Once oil separates from the sauce, add crushed tomatoes
- Add 1 cup water
- Simmer 10 min on medium and then remove from heat.
- Allow Tikka Masala (Sauce) to cool slightly and then pulse blend in a blender or use an immersion blender to blend the sauce smooth.
- Return sauce to the sauce pan
- Temper 1/4 cup half and half by add 1/4 cup hot Tikka sauce to the half and half and mix it well.
- Add back the tempered half and half to the sauce in the sauce pan and keep it warm on extra low temp.
Chicken Tikka
- Put chicken pieces in mixing bowl. Chicken Tenders need no marination time. If using chicken breasts, allow some marination time in the refrigerator for 4 hours up to 24 hours.
- Add lemon juice, yogurt, Tikka Spice Blend, and olive oil. Mix well to coat all the chicken pieces evenly.
- if chicken is cold, allow it to come to room temperature about 30 minutes or so.
- Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tbsp butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium high heat.
- Drop half the chicken on the pan and space them out so they are not crowded.Cook about 3-4 minutes and flip them over when they are goldenCook 2-3 more minutes or until the internal temp reaches close to 165 degrees.
Chicken Tikka Masala is Chicken Tikka + Tikka Masala Sauce
- Combine Chicken with Tikka Sauce
- Heat thoroughly and garnish as you wish
Garnish
- Salt to taste
- Add 1 Tbsp Butter cut in 4 pieces
- Garnish with finely chopped fresh cilantro
Plating
- Serve over rice or with a variety of Indian Breads like Naan or Paratha
