Classical chicken tikka masala is leftover tandoori chicken in a butter tomato sauce. The tandoori chicken needs to be marinated overnight for best results, and the chicken comes out of the oven absolutely moist and juicy and flavorful, if a little pink.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Marinade:
1/2 cup yogurt[1]
2 T cream[2]
juice of one whole lemon
4T Rajah's Tandoori paste
2 pounds of chicken breast, chopped into cubes[3]
Tomato sauce:
6 oz tomato paste
10 oz tomato sauce
4 cups water
2t minced ginger
2t minced garlic
1T red chile powder[4]
2t garam masala powder[5]
8 green cardamom pods[6]
3 T butter
2/3 cup cream
2t julienned ginger
Marinate chicken overnight (or eight hours) in the refrigerator. Grill or broil the chicken until done. Broiling for about ten minutes leads to fully-cooked, bite-sized pieces.[7]
Mix tomato paste, sauce, water, ginger, garlic, chile powder, garam masala, and cardamom pods, and cook over low heat until reduced to a thick sauce. Add the butter, cream, and ginger. If sauce tastes sour, add honey to taste. Serve with grilled chicken and pulao.
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[1] Plain yogurt, not vanilla! |
