This was on the drafts for a long time now. My colleague Cyndy asked me this recipe few days ago, I heard it partially and posted Chicken tikka. She had asked this for her friend Barbara, who mailed me next day asking about tikka masala that is served in Indian stores here. For one or the other reason, I could not make it before and I finally prepared it over the weekend. It was delicious.
Few days back when I went to an Indian restaurant here, I saw a blood red colored gravy with chicken pieces in it, named as ‘chicken tikka masala‘. The taste was good, but I started wondering why they call it tikka masala. For sure, those pieces were not tikkas – chicken pieces marinated in a spicy paste and then grilled in tandoor. After I returned home, I started wondering if my knowledge about this dish was wrong. I googled and finally I was sure that my knowledge of this dish was correct. There is one possibility that, the restaurant chefs might have added marinated pieces in the sauce but after heating it for few times, the coating of the pieces might have got dissolved in the sauce.
Like any other Indian recipe, there are many versions for this recipe. This is my version of it. It came out real good. So I thought of sending it to RP’s JFI tomatoes.
Ingredients:
8-10 chicken tikkas
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tea spn ginger-garlic paste
1 cup tomato paste (boil tomatoes in hot water, peel and grind)
1/2 cup cream
1 tea spn chili powder
1/2 tea spn cumin powder
1/2 tea spn coriander powder
1/2 tea spn garam masala(optional)
1/2 tea spn sugar
Oil
Salt
Method:
Prepare chicken tikkas, make sure to use small pieces of chicken for it.
Heat oil and fry onion, ginger-garlic paste. When onions turn slightly brownish, add tomato paste, all dry powders, sugar and salt. Cook for 3-4mins. Add cream, mix and now add tikkas, cook for another 2-3mins. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot.
Serves : 2-3
Preparation time : 15mins
PS: I prefer to add the pieces to gravy around 30mins before serving to stop the tikka covering getting dissolved in gravy.
hi shilpa, the gravy looks too good.
will definitely try this, but by substituting the chiken with paneer.
thanks for the recipe.
Beauty!! Very very good Shilpa.Thanks for posting your way too,always welcome!:))
Your chicken tikka masala looks delicious, thanks for posting the recipe that is a favorite to so many people.
Looks yummy Shilpa… I hate the red colores ones in the restaurants, they look so artificial… Yours looks delicious!
Hi,
This look perfect.I too am searching for tikka masala,i can’t wait,the photo and everything is perfect.
hi shilpa…this dish looks yummy…i was wondering what sort of cream you used to make it…is it single or double cream?
Richa, yes paneer also would taste very good in this dish. Let me know how you like it.
Thanks Asha.
Monisha, Thanks. I think this is one of the most popular Indian dishes in most parts of the world.
Thanks Sig. I too hate the color of those dishes in restaurants. I think they add a lot of color.
Ramya, let me know if you try this.
Dhivia, I used the normal cream available in supermarket. I think it is single cream(I have no idea about the difference between the two).
shilpa i tried your recipe. it came absolutely fantastic. everyone at home liked it. Thank you for the recipe and wish you luck for your site. All the best..
I tried this too, but used fat-free yoghurt instead of the cream, which added an interesting tang.
I am on diet so i require recipes of low calories .Please suggest in veg and non veg
Hi,
Your blog is really good. I’ve been looking for a simple recipe for chicken tikka masala and I’m glad I found it here. I plan to try it out soon.
Thanks.
Hi,
where can i get the cream that u have used i am in US?????????????
on the dairy section of any grocery store.
I found adding Paprika powder to chicken tikka masala help get the red color without adding any artificial color. The recipe is at http://www.food-india.com/recipe/R051_R75/R071.htm
Hi Shilpa, love all the recipies and detailed instructions you give. Just FYI on chicken tikka masala – the version that is served in restaurants in the UK and US supposedly has this backstory – An ex-army Englishman went to a bangladeshi ‘indian’ restaurant and ordered chikken tikka + rice. When he got the dry tikka, he got upset because he actually wanted a curry dish. The smart waiter took the dish back to the kitchen added some yogurt and some tomato paste and served it back. The sahib was khush and the tikka masala was born. Now in the UK it is the most popular ‘Indian’ curry while all indians are completely confused as to what it is! Personally the version in restaurants here (london) tastes like bad butter chiken so i avoid it, but i am sure your version will be much yummier!
Hey this is one of the best recipes ever..you are a legend …hmmm just love it