Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
Marination
- Boneless chicken cut in bite sized cubes 1 kg
- Thick yoghurt 5 tablespoons
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
- Roasted cumin+coriander powder 4 teaspoons
- Dried Fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) 1 teaspoon
- Black pepper 1 teaspoon
- Ginger paste 1 tablespoon
- Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
- Oil 2 tablespoons
Gravy
- Tomatoes 4 (medium size, finely chopped or blended coarsely)
- Onion 1 big size (finely chopped or blended coarsely)
- Ginger paste 1 tablespoon
- Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
- Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons
- Green chili 1-2, chopped
- Green cardamom 6
- Cinnamon sticks 3
- Cloves 6-8
- Tomato puree 4 tablespoons
- Green Capsicum 6 tablespoons (finely chopped)
- Cream 250 ml
- Cumin powder 2 teaspoons
- Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
- Coriander powder 2 teaspoons
- Red chili powder 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon
- Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) 1 teaspoon
- Sugar 1 teaspoon
- Oil 8 tablespoons
- Butter 6 tablespoons
Smoke (dum)
- A burning piece of charcoal
- Oil 1 teaspoon
Instructions
To make Chicken Tikka Marination
- Clean, wash and pat dry the chicken pieces. Cut them into bite sized chunks. In a bowl add chicken pieces and all the ingredients mentioned for tikka marination.
- Cover and refrigerate it overnight. If in hurry marinate at least for 2 hours.
- NOTE: to make cumin+coriander powder mix, take 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds and 4 tablespoons of coriander seeds and dry roast them in a pan until the colour is slightly changed and you can smell the aroma of roasted cumin and coriander. Allow to cool and grind to a fine powder. Store in an air tight container. Use as needed
- Next day put the marinated chicken in a pot and cook on high flame until the water is all evaporated and the chicken pieces are cooked completely.
To Make Gravy
- In a pot, heat oil and butter together.
- Add green cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves. Fry until aromatic.
- Add the chopped onions and salt. Saute them until they soften and change colour (become translucent).
- NOTE: You may discard the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick or leave them as it is.
- Add green chilies and ginger garlic paste and mix. Cook for a minute until raw smell goes off.
- Now, add chopped tomatoes, cook till tomatoes gets soft and its water dries up.
- Then, add chopped green capsicum, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric and mix. Cook for a minute.
- Next, add tomato puree and cumin powder. mix and cook for another minute.
- Now, add water to adjust the consistency. Cover and cook until the gravy is properly cooked.
- Add chicken pieces, more water and cook. Add sugar if there is a little bit acidity from the tomatoes or tomato puree.
- Lastly add cream and garam masala powder. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Finally add kasuri methi, turn the flame off. Cover with the lid.
- To smoke: Heat a piece of coal on flame.
- Once the gravy is done, place a small steel bowl or piece of aluminium foil on top of the gravy and put the burning coal in it. Pour some oil over it. Immediately, cover it with a tight lid to allow the smoke to penetrate in the gravy. Let it stand for 10 mins.
- Discard the coal.
- Dish out and garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve Chicken tikka masala with steamed rice or naan or laccha paratha.
- Enjoy!