Chicken tikka masala
Charred chicken tikka in a creamy, gently spiced tomato sauce. Often credited to a Glasgow restaurant, and still the city's favourite curry.
- Serves4
- Prep15 min
- Marinate1 hr
- Cook40 min
- HeatWarm
Ali Ahmed Aslam of Glasgow's Shish Mahal restaurant is widely credited with inventing chicken tikka masala in the 1970s, after a customer asked for sauce with his dry chicken tikka. Other restaurants have claimed it too. At home it's easy: grill the tikka, make the sauce while it cooks, then bring them together.
Ingredients
- For the tikka
- For the sauce
Ask at the counter for800g boneless chicken thigh
Method
Mix the tikka ingredients, add the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Heat the oven to its highest setting. Spread the chicken on a lined tray and roast for 12 to 15 minutes until charred at the edges. It finishes cooking in the sauce.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide pan and fry the onion for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Add the ginger and garlic pastes for 1 minute, then the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt for 30 seconds.
Add the blended tomatoes and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil separates.
Add the chicken and its juices, the cream, water and sugar. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the garam masala and rub the fenugreek leaves between your palms over the pan. Serve with rice or naan.
Tips
- Breast fillet works too. Keep step 5 to 5 minutes so it stays tender.
- For a lighter version, swap the cream for 150g of thick yoghurt stirred in off the heat.
Good to know
- Make ahead and freezing
- Freezes well.
- Heat
- Warm. Add green chillies at the table if you like it hotter.