A Culinary Delight - Chicken Tikka Masala
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- chicken tikka:
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon ground coriander
- 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( i used some chile flakes)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chiken breast trimmed of fat (i used 2 1/2 lbs)
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium cloves garlic minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
- masala sauce
- 1 medium onion diced fine
- 2 medium cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 jalapenos
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 0.75 teaspoon table salt
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Carbohydrate 5.45993641917317 g
- Cholesterol 87.9871436759665 mg
- Fat 15.0082662310496 g
- Fiber 0.377439583709894 g
- Protein 25.564862832806 g
- Saturated Fat 4.21853665416023 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (180g)
- Sodium 665.28736779363 mg
- Sugar 5.08249683546327 g
- Trans Fat 2.94523914948084 g
- Calories 251 calories
Step-by-step
- FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl.
- Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres.
- Add the crushed garlic and ginger.
- Rub it on the chicken and drizzle the olive oil.
- Place chicken in a ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight (or several hours).
- Take the chicken out from the fridge and add the yoghurt.
- Make sure it coats the chicken well.
- Let marinate for another 1-2 hours.
- In the meantime, get all the ingredients for the masala ready.
- FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, turmeric, and salt; bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- It is at this point that you may adjust the seasoning and add more spice if you like it spicier.
- Stir in cream and return to simmer.
- Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
- While sauce simmers, grill chicken on medium heat.
- Make sure you coat the chicken well with the yoghurt.
- Also, make sure you oil the grill ...as the chicken can easily stick.
- You can also do the chicken in the oven using the broiler.
- Just adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler.
- Dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan.
- Discard excess yogurt mixture.
- Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
- Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce).
- Stir in cilantro, and serve over rice.
Long marinades and parallel cooking tasks require intentional workflow management to prevent kitchen gridlock. Overnight resting of spiced meat is non-negotiable for proper flavor penetration, but yogurt application must wait until the final two hours to avoid breaking down the protein fibers excessively. Building the sauce while the chicken chars under the broiler keeps total active kitchen time down to under an hour.
Sequencing the Marination and Broil
Dry-rubbing the chicken breasts with cumin, coriander, and cayenne before the overnight refrigerator rest draws out surface moisture and concentrates seasoning. Yogurt enters the process only one to two hours prior to cooking, clinging to the surface to create a protective barrier against high heat. When broiling, position the wire rack so the meat sits roughly six inches from the heating element. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing carryover heat to finish the chicken while it rests for five minutes before slicing.
- Thicken the masala sauce with extra heavy cream or chicken stock if reduction leaves it past the ideal coating consistency.
- Scale quantities proportionally across all aromatics and dairy when feeding larger groups, keeping spice ratios locked to maintain flavor balance.
- Oil the broiler rack thoroughly before laying down yogurt-coated meat to prevent tearing the char.
