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Easy chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala is one the most popular Indian dishes in Britain. In fact it’s not an Indian dish, as it was invented in Scotland when a customer in a restaurant requested  “gravy”  for his Chicken tikka, which he found too dry. The chef created a quick masala sauce using a mixture of tomato soup, yogurt and spices. The dish soon became  very popular in Scotland, then in all parts of the British Isles.  Currently there are at least  50  different types of  tikka masala recipes - the sauce can be coconut, yoghurt or tomato based, flavoured with various of Indian spices. This Easy Chicken tikka masala is one of my favourite recipes -  fantastically tasty, a bit spicy but most importantly really simple to make! Serve with rice, naan bread and Indian veggies. Perfect for parties or family meals.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: British, Fusion, Indian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli deseeded and chopped
  • 1.5 cm ginger grated
  • 3 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 300 g skinless chicken fillet thigh or breast
  • 1 pinch of hot chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • ½ Tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ Tbsp tomato purée
  • 200 g chopped tomato ½ can
  • 500 ml vegetable stock
  • About 10 curry leaves optional
  • 100 ml Greek yogurt
  • 1 handful coriander chopped

Method
 

  1. Grind the onion, chilli, ginger and garlic into a coarse paste (using a small food processor or pestle & mortar).
  2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based dish, then cook the chicken pieces until lightly browned, then drain them on kitchen paper towels.
  4. Add the paste to the pan and stir-fry for 5 minutes over low heat. Add the spices and continue stirring for a minute.
  5. Add the sugar, tomato purée, tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then add the chicken bites and the curry leaves. Simmer, under cover, for 20-25 minutes.
  6. When the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat, mix in the yogurt and chopped coriander.
  7. Serve warm.