- Prep Time: 25 min. (+30 min. inactive)
- Cook Time: 45 min.
- Yield: 6 servings
It is said that a Pakistani chef in Glasgow created this recipe in 1971. Not Indian roots at all! Regardless, it is my husband’s must-have Indian dish in any destination: from Oslo to Budapest, to Prague to Providenciales!
For most Indian curries, bone-in meat is preferred because of the richness of flavor that the bones impart. In the case of chicken tikka masala, the grilled cubes of meat must be boneless.
Since most of us don’t have tandoori ovens at our disposal, a gas grill or oven broiler will have to do.
Ghee is a clarified butter that is a staple of Indian cookery. It is very expensive to purchase in a grocery store. To make it at home, simply melt a pound of butter over medium-low heat.
Once all the butter has melted, skim off the foam from the top, pour off the clear middle liquid, and discard the milk solids from the bottom of the pot. Voila, home-made ghee!
Lastly, for the curry sauce, it is important to fry (bhuna) the spices to release all the essential oils. I keep a coffee grinder specifically allocated for spice grinding, which allows for quick blending of dried spices immediately before bhuna. Also, I use an old-fashioned mortar and pestle quite frequently.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of boneless chicken thighs
- 2 cups of whole, plain yogurt
- juice, 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of avocado or coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee (or 2 tablespoons butter)
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, smashed with a knife blade
- 3 inches of fresh ginger, peeled, finely sliced, smashed, and minced
- 1 stick cinnamon, whole
- 2 Thai chilis, whole
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, ground
- 1 tablespoon corriander seeds, ground
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) of tomato purée
- 1/2 pint heavy cream
Instructions
- Cut the chicken meat into 2-inch cubes. In a glass container, mix cubed chicken, 1 cup of the yogurt, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Coat the chicken pieces and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- In a grinder or mortar, pulverize the chilis, cumin, corriander, salt, and pepper. This will be the primary curry seasoning. Do not include the cinnamon at this time.
- In a medium-sized pot, warm the oil and ghee over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent and soft.
- Add the pulverized spices and whole cinnamon. Stir constantly for 2–3 minutes until aromas are evident. Do not scorch, as bitterness will result.
- Reduce the heat to simmer and add the tomato paste, tomato purée, and cream. Let it simmer for 15 minutes, covered. Meanwhile, grill or broil the marinated chicken cubes for 10 minutes, discarding the marinade. The chicken will finish cooking in the curry.
- Add the grilled chicken cubes to the curry. Stir, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. The curry is now ready to serve.
- Plate in a bowl, preferably copper, and present family-style with naan bread, basmati rice, and other curries such as Saag Paneer.
- Beer or tea are in order to complement this meal. Kingfisher or Taj Mahal are perfect, although I believe that one of them is brewed under license in New York. Any input?
