Chicken Tikka Masala; A Tangy And Creamy Dish For Dinner

Chicken tikka masala is a dish consisting of roasted marinated chicken chunks (chicken tikka) in a spiced sauce. The sauce is usually creamy and orange-coloured. The dish was popularised by cooks from India living in Great Britain and is offered at restaurants around the world. The city of origin for the dish is unknown, but Glasgow and other South Asian communities in Great Britain are often mentioned in publications.

The main component of chicken tikka masala is chicken tikka, which are boneless chicken chunks that have been marinated in spices and yoghurt and roasted before being served with a creamy sauce. A tomato and coriander sauce is a must base, but there is no set recipe for chicken tikka masala; according to a poll, the only item shared by all 48 different versions was chicken. Typically, the sauce contains tomatoes (often in the form of a purée), cream, coconut cream, and a masala spice blend. Orange colouring for the sauce and chicken pieces can be achieved using ingredients like tomato purée, paprika, turmeric, or food colour. It is a delicious recipe for creamy chicken with a hearty sauce. It is a common dish served at dinner parties and on the menus of many North Indian restaurants. It is a versatile dish as you can cook it in a variety of ways. It tastes best when it is paired with rice, roti, or naan.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Curry or tandoori paste
• 2 tbsp Yogurt
• 2 Chicken breasts (skinned)
• 3 tbsp Single cream
• 200-gram Tomatoes
• 2 tsp Root ginger (grated), peeled
• 2 cloves Garlic (chopped), peeled
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 Bay leaves (optional)
• 1 medium Onion (chopped), peeled
• 2 medium Red chillies (seeded (if using Birdseye use only half to one), chopped
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp Garam masala
• 25-gram Fresh coriander leaves (optional)

Method

• Stir the yoghurt and curry or tandoori paste thoroughly in a bowl. Then add some chicken pieces to it. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for a few hours.
• Set the oven to 180C/350F for preheating. Bake the chicken pieces for 10 minutes. 
• In the meantime, combine the cream, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic in a bowl, and place it aside.
• In a saucepan, heat the oil, add the onion and bay leaves (if using), and cook until the onion starts to turn golden brown.
• Add the garam masala, cumin, coriander, salt, turmeric, and chillies. Stir for a minute.
• Add some chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes. After that, add the tomato and cream mixture, cover the pan, and cook for an additional 5 minutes on low heat.
• Cook until you have a smooth and orange consistency.
• Add 125 ml of water and simmer for an additional minute. Serve this dish hot and garnish it with chopped coriander. 
• Serve it with rice, roti, or naan.