Best Tikka Masala
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.
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.