World Wednesday: Chicken Tikka Masala

A delicious bowl of creamy chicken tikka masala with rice, lemons, and naan bread.

Highly regarded as the national dish of England, this British-style curry dish is made from chunks of chicken marinated overnight in spices and yogurt, then served in a tomato curry sauce over rice.

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Marinade

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Tikka Masala Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 serrano pepper, diced
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup tomato sauce, plain
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. To marinate the chicken: In a large glass or metal bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. For the sauce: In a 6-quart saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and saute the onions for 5 minutes over medium heat, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, garam masala, cumin, paprika, coriander, and salt and saute 3 minutes more. Add tomato paste and cream and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. For the chicken: While the sauce simmers, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Drain and discard the marinade and add the chicken to the skillet, sauteing until browned on all sides.
  4. Stir the browned chicken into the sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  5. Serve over basmati rice.