Chicken Tikka Masala

Tikka Masala is an Indian dish jokingly considered to be the UK's national favorite (due to the growing Indian population in Britain). You can find it at almost any Indian restaurant with varying degrees of spice. I like it with a little bit of kick served over rice, though naan bread (if I could only make a good batch of it!) would also be a good option.

Tikka Masala paste is the most important ingredient in this recipe and is actually a type of curry. You can find it at most grocery stores in the ethnic food section. Our closest grocery store carries Patak’s brand “Taste of India” and makes all types of curries. The recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of paste, but if you want a stronger flavor, add an extra spoonful or two. I recommend trying the sauce before making any additions to it. If you do find it too spicy, add a few extra spoonfuls of yogurt to temper the heat.*

*Your tikka masala sauce should be a darker shade of orange than ours; I ran out of tikka paste mid-recipe so the color and flavor was a little weak.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Recipe from India's 500 Best Recipes
Pictures by Caroline

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 tablespoons tikka masala paste
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 green chili, seeded and chopped
1 inch piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. In a large bowl, mix 3 tablespoons tikka paste and 4 tablespoons yogurt. Add the chicken and leave to marinate 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to low broil.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and sauté the onion, garlic, chili and ginger for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tikka paste and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and water; bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, pour the chicken onto a large, lightly greased pan.* Broil on low for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken is done through.
4. Put the tikka sauce into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return to the pan.
5. Add the remaining yogurt and the lemon juice. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve over rice or naan bread.

*You may want to line your pan foil or you could end up with a pan that is very very difficult to clean.