Chicken in Creamy Tomato Curry: Chicken Tikka Masala

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Picture of Chicken in Creamy Tomato Curry: Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe Photo: Chicken in Creamy Tomato Curry: Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Rated 5 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
1 hr 25 min
Prep
20 min
Inactive
30 min
Cook
35 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

Marinade:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
  • 3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks

Sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)
  • 2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 to 2 cups water
  • Oil, for grilling
  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving

Directions

For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).

Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

  • 1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole
  • 1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1/4 cup canola oil

Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 221 reviews

  • on May 16, 2013

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    I made this recipe tonight...Wow! Finally a recipe that lives up to its potential! Took a direction with less heat by adding the seeds of only 1/2 the Serrano pepper and also didn't need to add the 2nd cup of water, as my tomatoes were juicy enough. With those minor modifications, this dish rivaled the very best Indian restaurants my husband and I have been too!! Just fantastic!! Thanks Aarti!

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  • on April 21, 2013

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    Love love love this recipe. I was tentatively getting into Indian food (just never really been exposed to much before and I saw Aarti making this on TV and thought it would be the perfect starter. I usually add a little bit more paprika and garam masala cause I like them, and I've yet to be able to get fenugreek leaves, but it certainly doesn't make me hate this dish at all.

    My only recommendation is either doubling or even tripling the amount of chicken. Every time I make this I have TONS of sauce and not much meat. So I just make more chicken to add to the pot and freeze the leftovers in 2 person servings! Makes all the chopping and labor-intensive parts of this recipe worth it. I've probably made it 6 or 7 times by now!

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  • on April 19, 2013

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    I'm a little flabbergasted at some of the other reviews, especially the person who insisted upon using two tablespoons of garam masala. *gasp* I followed this recipe exactly with only two modifications: I did saute some onion with the serranos, and I used 3 serranos instead of 2, because we like it spicy! Me and my husband are curry snobs (as he is from the UK and we both agreed that this dish rivals any restaurant Tikka Masala.

    One has to realize that Aarti is an expert Indian chef. I have loved every recipe of hers that I have made so far!! Thanks Aarti!

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