This has become an absolute family favorite. It’s my go-to if I want to give a meal to a friend, or if I am having guests over for dinner. It is a very easy meal to prepare, however it does require planning ahead.

When I first tried this dish, I couldn’t find the Garam Masala seasoning, so I made my own…I think I used this spice blend – it’s simple, and it did the trick. I do, however, prefer the pre-blended spice mix. I have been using the Simply Organic Garam Masala.

I have made this dish many, many times, and have finally perfected it to my liking. I found the original recipe at Bon Appetite, so as you can imaging, the original recipe really doesn’t need to be tweaked, it’s fantastic. I just happen to prefer some changes – and who knows, maybe my recipe shouldn’t even be called Tikka Masala!! I do not wish to offend any Tikka Masala purists, I just have a hard time following a recipe to a T, and sometimes, we just work with what we have on hand, right?

The first big change I made to the original recipe is using leeks, lots of leeks, instead of an onion. I use two large leeks or 3 small/medium leeks…it always seems like a lot when I get started, but we just love them. It adds texture to the sauce, and a delicious flavor to the final dish.

The second change is, I add the leftover yogurt marinade into the pot with the rest of the sauce. I have NO idea if this is a change or not…the original recipe doesn’t really say whether to do this or not. In my mind, why would I ‘waste’ all those amazing spices???

Next, I chargrill the chicken breasts instead of putting them in the broiler. This started out of necessity. I do not have a good oven (more on that in some other post, because I am a baker at heart), so it was impossible to get any char on the chicken this way. So, we tried the charcoal grill and honestly, this way is SO much better than broiling anyway. The flavor from charring the chicken on the grill is absolute perfection for this recipe. Don’t worry though, if you can’t grill the chicken, your end result will still be fantastic – I know, I’ve tried it. The main tip to remember is: fast and hot on the grill or broiler – no need to cook the chicken through, you’re just trying to get some flavor here.

Cut into bite-sized pieces and return to marinade container

The next variation from the original recipe is using coconut milk instead of heavy cream. This is a newer variation and it was in an effort to make the dish a tad bit healthier. It ended up being a fantastic swap, for us at least. The flavor of the coconut milk blends perfectly with the flavors, adding a little sweetness the sauce kind of needs (probably because of all the leeks), and it does make the meal a little lighter. It’s delicious. It is amazing either way so, take your pick but, in my family, we prefer the sauce with coconut milk – and, I add extra because, who doesn’t want extra sauce?

And, lastly, the newest variation is ……. adding some veggies! And this happened because my sister, Wendy, usually doesn’t eat meat – so, one day when she came over for dinner, I reserved some of the sauce before adding in the chicken, and she put together a little veggie Tikka Masala…so, the next time I made the dish I thought, why not incorporate the two versions? The end results was amazing.

When the sauce is ready, add your veggies & chicken

Let it stew – this combines the flavor beautifully

There you have it…my dish has really morphed into something new altogether which may not resemble Tikka Masala at all, maybe…I’m no expert. It’s what we call it – feel free to follow the link over to the original recipe, or try mine, or make up your own. Share your thoughts with us PLEASE if you do make this, we always love trying new variations (can’t you tell?) and we would love to know if you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

Best Tikka Masala

Adrienne Westfall

This is not a traditional Tikka Masala recipe, it is my take on the dish, adjusted over time – if you are looking for a delicious and soul nourishing meal – this is it.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

2 lbs (about 1 kilo) chicken breast (I like chicken breast filets)

For the Marinade:

6 cloves garlic, finely grated
4 tsp finely grated peeled ginger
4 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1½ C plain whole-milk yogurt (non-greek)

For the Sauce:

3 Tbsp salter butter (42.5 g) (or, ghee or vegetable oil)
2 large leeks, chopped (or, 3 small/med leeks)
¼ C tomato paste
6 pods Cardamom, crushed and ground
1 tsp ground chile de arbol (add more or less depending on how spicy you like)
1 28-oz can whole, peeled tomatoes (820 g)
3 13.5-oz cans coconut milk (400 ml cans)
¾ C chopped cilantro (I usually just use a normal size bunch)

The Added Veggies:

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
½ small head of cauliflower, chopped
1 C frozen peas

And, for serving:

Steamed Basmati Rice (I use a 500 g box for this recipe)

Instructions

Mix the garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander and cumin in a small bowl – it will turn into a paste – then add about half of that paste to the yogurt, add the salt, and mix well. Add the raw chicken, making sure it gets completely coated. Cover and chill for at least 4-6 hours…I usually do this the night before and make it the next day mid-day.
Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat, add butter (or ghee or oil) and let it completely melt and start to bubble. Add your tomato paste, crushed cardamom, chiles and the leeks and stir to combine. Allow this to cook for around 5 minutes, stirring often, to nicely caramelize the leeks and tomato paste. Add the remaining half of the spice paste and stir in – allow to cook for another 4-5 minutes, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom. At this point, the smells start to really fill your home – it’s divine.
Preheat your grill or your broiler – you will need this nice and hot for Step 6.
Now the fun part – take the can of whole tomatoes and pour the sauce from the can into the pot, then one-by-one crush the tomatoes into little pieces with your hands right into the pot. Be careful, the juices inside the tomatoes will squirt out when you squish them so, try poking a hole in the tomato first to drain it, then break it up into little pieces. Turn up the heat until the sauce boils, then bring down to a simmer, stirring often, for about 8-10 minutes to thicken the sauce a bit.
Add the coconut milk and chopped cilantro – stir to combine then allow to simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Now we do the chicken – take the chicken out of the fridge, and carefully place all the chicken pieces onto the grill (or onto a lined baking sheet with a wire rack, if you are broiling) – char the chicken on both sides – you just need a few charred bits on each piece of chicken, we are not trying to overcook the chicken here. It will take about 8-10 minutes, depending on your grill. Take off the grill and using your tongs to hold the chicken, cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and put back into the dish holding the marinade (work carefully here, the chicken and marinade is still raw).
Add the chicken and marinade to the pot of sauce, along with the chopped-up veggies. Stir together and simmer for another 10-20 minutes. Then place the lid on the pot and let it sit and stew, off the heat, until you’re ready to eat. I like to let is sit for like 30 minutes or more…all the flavor blend together, and the veggies cook through in the sauce.
Somewhere in the above steps you have also managed to make your basmati rice – if not, do it now. I make a whole 500 g box of basmati rice for this recipe. Yes, the whole recipe is enough to feed a small village, but who doesn’t love leftovers? And if you don’t want leftovers (you’re weird), then give half the batch to your neighbors. It’s a nice thing to do. For the rice, rinse it really well, then add 625 ml water to the 500g rice, bring to a boil, then put the lid on and simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes. Take the lid of and ‘fluff’ the rice, allowing it to release some of the extra steam.

Keyword Chicken, Masala, Tikka, Tikka Masala

There you have it – serve up a nice big bowl of delicious and soul-nourishing Tikka Masala. You’ll probably go back for seconds, and it tastes even better reheated the next day.

If you have the patience, garnish your dish with some fresh cilantro. I usually skip this step because, well, I have two babies, so I barely have enough time to eat, let alone garnish a dish.

Enjoy!!

Please share this recipe with everyone you know!! And tell us if you made it in the comments below!!

The Best Ever Tikka Masala Recipe