Chicken Tikka Masala
Options for cooking: Instead of making homemade sauce, use jarred Tikka Masala sauce (in Indian section of grocery store). If using homemade sauce, can also cook this dish in crock pot by adding all ingredients except yogurt. Add yogurt in last 15-30 min of cooking.
Options for cooking: Instead of making homemade sauce, use jarred Tikka Masala sauce (in Indian section of grocery store). If using homemade sauce, can also cook this dish in crock pot by adding all ingredients except yogurt. Add yogurt in last 15-30 min of cooking.
- salt to taste
- 1 small onion minced
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 4 oz fat free yogurt (i used chobani)
- 1/2 cup 1% milk
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 16 oz (2 boneless) chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 tbsp fresh cilantro (or to taste)
- Carbohydrate 68.012814623076 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 12.479027547356 g
- Fiber 16.1398806638956 g
- Protein 14.1748542327779 g
- Saturated Fat 1.13386599884501 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (1171g)
- Sodium 4413.51200006351 mg
- Sugar 51.8729339591804 g
- Trans Fat 0.913342397574342 g
- Calories 388 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until golden.
- Add the crushed ginger, stir for a few minutes then add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt; mix well until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes, yogurt and milk.
- Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Add chicken and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked through.
- Add a generous amount of chopped cilantro and serve with Basmati Rice and/or Naan.
Ground cumin acts as the primary aromatic anchor in this dish, providing an earthy foundation that defines the sauce. Whole cumin seeds ground manually release volatile oils faster than pre-ground powders sitting on pantry shelves. Toasting these spices directly in the skillet over medium heat for two minutes drives out residual moisture and unlocks fat-soluble flavor compounds.
Fresh ginger and garlic demand sequential addition during cooking. Garlic burns rapidly at high heat due to its sugar content, turning acrid within sixty seconds. Ginger requires longer contact with the hot oil to soften its aggressive bite. Adding onions first and cooking them until golden builds the necessary Maillard reaction base before any spices enter the pan.
Using fresh tomatoes yields a brighter acidity than processed purees, though simmering for ten minutes is required to drive off excess water. Alternatively, commercial jarred sauces bypass this reduction stage entirely, altering the final sodium and sugar equilibrium. Dairy additions like yogurt and milk curdle if subjected to sustained high boiling temperatures. Introduce dairy over low heat, or stir it into slow cooker adaptations during the final fifteen to thirty minutes.
Prepared portions store safely in airtight refrigerator containers for up to four days. Reheating requires gentle stovetop warming over low heat to prevent the chicken proteins from tightening and the dairy from breaking.
