The Best Chicken Tikka Masala Food

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Whisk together the yogurt, spices, garlic and ginger in a large baking dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the broiler. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and brush with some of the ghee. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and wipe off excess marinade. Brush the breasts with ghee and season both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange on the baking sheet in an even layer. Broil until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
• Remove the chicken from the heat and to a cutting board. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and cut it into 1-inch thick slices. Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve.

THE BEST CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• For the chicken marinade: Whisk together the yogurt, ginger, salt, chili powder, garam masala, pepper, turmeric and garlic in a large bowl until combined. Toss the chicken in the spiced yogurt marinade until evenly coated. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24. (Overnight works best.)
• For the sauce: Melt the ghee in a large Dutch oven or wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and serrano, season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until very fragrant and the ginger starts to turn golden and sticks to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fenugreek leaves, garam masala, chili powder and paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up into pieces with a spoon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half and the tomatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Let the hot sauce cool for about 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender filling no more than halfway. (If your blender is small, you may need to work in batches.) Remove the center cap from the lid and place it on the blender. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream and puree until creamy. Pour into a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Season with salt.
• Meanwhile, position a rack directly under the broiler and preheat to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside.
• Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the rack. Broil until the chicken starts to brown in spots, 3 to 6 minutes per side (it will not be cooked through). Remove from the broiler. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Top the chicken and sauce with cilantro. Serve with rice and naan.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.
• For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.
• Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.
• Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).
• Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!
• Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.
• Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

SERIOUS EATS CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA - MAYBE THE BEST

Steps:

• Place the chicken pieces on a cutting board with flesh-side up. Score deeply at 1-inch intervals with a sharp knife. Pat dry and place in a large rimmed non-reactive baking dish.
• MARINADE:.
• Combine cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric and cayenne in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside 3 tablespoons of spice mixture (for Step 10).
• Combine remaining 6 tablespoons of spice mixture, 8 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons ginger, yogurt, 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine (or process all in food processor).
• Pour marinade all over chicken pieces, using hands to coat every surface. Cover loosely and refrigerate. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning occasionally.
• SAUCE:.
• Meanwhile, heat ghee or butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until melted and foaming subsides.
• In clean food processor, pulse garlic to yield 4 tablespoons (or crush in a garlic press). Remove excess of garlic from food processor and add about 2 inches fresh gingerroot cut in small chunks, and pulse until finely grated.
• Add onions and garlic-ginger mix to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring frequently, until dark and beginning to char in spots, about 10 minutes.
• Add reserved spice mixture from Step 3. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan with a spoon.
• Simmer sauce for 15 minutes, then puree using a hand blender or by transferring to a tabletop blender in batches. (If you use a VitaMix, you will not need to allow the sauce to cool off first.)
• Stir in cream and remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, then set aside until chicken is cooked.
• TO COOK ON THE GRILL:.
• Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all of the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over half of a coal grate.
• Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes.
• Clean and oil the grilling grate. (I recommend a GrillGrate.).
• Wipe excess marinade off chicken and place over hot side of grill, flesh-side down.
• Grill without moving until well charred, 5-7 minutes.
• Flip chicken and cook until second side is charred, 4-5 minutes. (Chicken will not be completely cooked through, which is okay). Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest 10 minutes.
• TO COOK UNDER THE BROILER:.
• Line a broiler pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and preheat the broiler to high with the rack set 6 inches below broiler element.
• Wipe excess marinade off chicken and place on foil-lined pan, flesh side up. Broil until charred an blackened on surface, about 8 minutes (but if you have a professional oven broiler, it may take much less time). (Chicken will not be completely cooked through, which is okay.) Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest 10 minutes.
• FINALE:.
• Remove chicken from bone using a sharp knife and cut into rough bite-sized chunks.
• Transfer chicken chunks to pot of sauce.
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves.
• Serve immediately with rice or grilled naan.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Soak bamboo skewers in water.
• Thread chicken on skewers, and marinate (in the refrigerator) for an hour or so.
• Discard marinade.
• For sauce, melt butter on medium heat.
• Add garlic & jalapeno; cook 1 minute.
• Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala & salt.
• Stir in tomato sauce.
• Simmer 15 minutes.
• Stir in cream; simmer to thicken- about 5 minutes.
• Grill or broil chicken, turning occasionally, to cook through- about 8 minutes.
• Remove chicken from skewers; add to sauce.
• Simmer 5 minutes.
• Garnish with cilantro Serve with basmati rice, naan or pita bread.
• Note: You can make your own garam masala. McCormick also makes garam masala; it's available in super markets.

QUICK CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA FOR TWO

Steps:

• Stir together garam masala, salt and turmeric in a small dish. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of the spice mixture and dredge in the flour. (Reserve the remaining spice mix and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the remaining flour.).
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved spice mix and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Sprinkle with the reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons flour and stir until coated. Add tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until thickened and the onion is tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in cream. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

ULTIMATE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a bowl with the yoghurt & tandoori paste and stir. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, or covered in the overnight in the fridge.
• Preheat the grill to high. Take the chicken out of the marinade(reserving the liquid for later) and spread over a baking sheet. grill for 6 minutes each side until lightly charred.
• Melt the butter in a casserole dish or large frying pan over a low heat and soften the onions for 10 minutes , stirring occasionally until just golden.
• Stir in the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, salt and all the spices.Cook for 1-2 minutes until the spices release their aroma. Stir in the passata, reserved yoghurt marinade and the water.Simmer very gently fro 5 minutes until the sauce thickens until sauce thickens, adding extra water should it get to thick.Stir in the cooked chicken.
• Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.