Chicken Tikka Masala

I have a long-standing obsession with chicken tikka masala. My memory fails me but surely my first dance with this dish dates back to a revelatory encounter at an Indian buffet. I imagine I gorged on the luxurious creamy sauce before finally reaching that bittersweet tipping point where self-disgust and bodily discomfort outweigh the desire to saunter back to the buffet for yet another helping.

This dish also speaks to my proclivities as a cook.

For starters it lends itself to complicating. And I like to complicate things. Shall I use one spice mixture for the chicken tikka and yet another for the gravy? Of course I shall!

As well it’s been covered by some of the great chefs and cooks of the world. Madhur Jaffrey. J. Kenji Alt-Lopez. Heston Blumenthal. Modernist Cuisine. Thus affording me the opportunity to stand on their shoulders, synthesize what they’ve created, and play with some mighty fine building blocks.

My first riff on the recipe is to swap out yogurt for buttermilk in the marinade. Aside from the long-standing history of buttermilk marinades, buttermilk is cheaper and in a side by side comparison of yogurt versus buttermilk I couldn’t detect a difference.

Another refinement that takes the sauce to the next level is to sieve it through a fine-mesh strainer. I’ve found this gives the sauce a silky smooth texture that is a hallmark of this dish.

I’m including recipes for two different spice blends, tandoori masala and garam masala. Both can be found pre-made at most international markets if you’re not inclined to hunt down umpteen spices.

In terms of portioning the dish, a good balance can be found with equal parts cooked chicken and cooked sauce. If you make the dish as written and combine 200 grams of chicken with 200 grams of sauce, the resulting portion will contain roughly 588 calories, 51.2 grams of protein, 23 grams of carbs, and 32.4 grams of fat.

Print Recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from Indian for Everyone: The Home Cook's Guide to Traditional Favorites by Anupy Singla

Servings

Ingredients

Tandoori Masala

• 8 g whole dried red chiles
• 8 g coriander seeds
• 10 g cumin seeds
• 7 g whole black peppercorns
• 4 g whole cloves
• 3 g green cardamom pods
• 2 g ajwain seeds
• 2 g fenugreek seeds
• 3 g cinnamon sticks
• 2 g dried ginger powder
• 1 g garlic powder
• 1 g turmeric powder
• 10 g unsmoked paprika

Garam Masala

• 20 g cumin seeds
• 8 g coriander seeds
• 5 g black cardamom pods
• 12 g cinnamon sticks
• 4 g whole cloves
• 7 g whole black peppercorns

Garlic Ginger Paste

• 80 g garlic
• 80 g ginger

Chicken Tikka

• 500 g buttermilk
• 100 g garlic ginger paste
• 50 g tandoori masala
• 40 g salt
• 20 g Kashmiri chile powder
• 10 g garam masala
• 50 g lemon juice
• 2 kg boneless chicken breast

Chicken Tikka Masala

• 100 g ghee
• 400 g yellow onion, diced
• 50 g garlic ginger paste
• 60 g tomato paste
• 40 g fresh serrano or Thai chiles, stems removed and chopped
• 30 g garam masala
• 6 g Kashmiri chile powder
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
• 20 g salt
• 20 g light brown sugar
• 250 g heavy cream
• 15 g unsmoked paprika

Garnish

• cilantro

Servings Ingredients Tandoori Masala 8 g whole dried red chiles 8 g coriander seeds 10 g cumin seeds 7 g whole black peppercorns 4 g whole cloves 3 g green cardamom pods 2 g ajwain seeds 2 g fenugreek seeds 3 g cinnamon sticks 2 g dried ginger powder 1 g garlic powder 1 g turmeric powder 10 g unsmoked paprika Garam Masala 20 g cumin seeds 8 g coriander seeds 5 g black cardamom pods 12 g cinnamon sticks 4 g whole cloves 7 g whole black peppercorns Garlic Ginger Paste 80 g garlic 80 g ginger Chicken Tikka 500 g buttermilk 100 g garlic ginger paste 50 g tandoori masala 40 g salt 20 g Kashmiri chile powder 10 g garam masala 50 g lemon juice 2 kg boneless chicken breast Chicken Tikka Masala 100 g ghee 400 g yellow onion, diced 50 g garlic ginger paste 60 g tomato paste 40 g fresh serrano or Thai chiles, stems removed and chopped 30 g garam masala 6 g Kashmiri chile powder 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes 20 g salt 20 g light brown sugar 250 g heavy cream 15 g unsmoked paprika Garnish cilantro

Instructions

Tandoori Masala

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toast the whole spices for 10-15 minutes.

   
3. Grind and sieve the whole spices.

   
4. Add the preground spices - ginger, garlic, turmeric, and paprika.

   

Garam Masala

1. Repeat the process for the garam masala.

Garlic Ginger Paste

1. Mince the garlic cloves and chopped ginger in a food processor, scraping down as needed, until a paste forms.

Chicken Tikka

1. Trim the chicken breast and pound it to even thickness.
2. Combine the buttermilk, tandoori masala, salt, chile powder, and garam masala.
3. Add the chicken to the marinade and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
4. Grill or broil.

   

Chicken Tikka Masala

1. Prep all of the ingredients for the gravy.

   
2. Heat the ghee on medium-high.
3. Add the onion and a pinch of the salt and cook until the onion is slightly browned.

   
4. Add the garlic ginger paste and cook for another minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning the paste.
5. Add the tomato paste, the fresh chiles, the garam masala, and the chile powder and cook for a minute, stirring constantly to avoid scorching the spices.
6. Add the tomatoes, remaining salt, and sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
8. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
9. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve.
10. Return the mixture to the pan and add the heavy cream.
11. Fold in the chicken tikka and paprika and cook gently for 5 minutes.
12. Serve garnished with cilantro.

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