Perfect ‘Brindian’ chicken tikka masala

Chicken Tikka Masala must be one of the most famous ‘British’ recipes in the world after fish and chips. Rumoured to have been created in the UK by a Bangladeshi chef to appeal to the British palate, this dish is now top of the menu at every Indian restaurant in across the Kingdom.

Not being a truely authentic Indian dish means that outside of the UK, it’s almost impossible to find a good interpretation of it.

Germany is not famed for it’s cuisine and especially not for it’s international cuisine. When I moved to Berlin I tried several take-out places and was constantly disappointed. The quality of meat was definitely good and the portion sizes very generous. The taste, however, was NOTHING like what I expect a Chicken Tikka Masala to be.

With it being my favourite ‘Indian’ dish I had to find a way to satisfy my cravings for it and thus began trying to cook my own.

I’m sure it’s incredibly easy to make in an Indian restaurant’s kitchen where they have huge bulk batches of curry base sauce on the go and chicken constantly in marinade. I won’t lie – it’s a pain in the arse to make yourself at home.

Referencing various recipes I’d found online I was frustrated by all of the steps. The first time I made it, it took HOURS. Being a very practical person who likes things to be straight-forward and easy, I challenged myself to make it much more accessible and quick to reproduce in the future. Don’t get me wrong – you certainly won’t be whipping this up in 30 mins when you get home from work, but at least now you won’t have to spend a whole day in the kitchen.

I have to say, the result is actually perfect. It’s exactly what I expect a Chicken Tikka Masala recipe to taste like. For comparison, I’d say it tastes better than an M&S ready meal and lighter than an Indian take-away (but not as sweet).

At 560 calories per portion (before you even add rice or naan bread), it’s definitely more on the indulgent side of the scale. It’s very high in protein though, so it’s the perfect dish to make in bulk and have in the freezer to quickly serve with rice after the gym.

When I cook this, I make double the recipe size (10 portions) just because it’s hard work and I know I’ll always want to eat it. My freezer is nicely stocked and I hope soon yours will be too!

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Murat Seyfi

A staple of British-Indian cuisine, Chicken Tikka Masala is a creamy and sweet mild curry. Try this recipe for the true UK flavour at home from anywhere!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 1 day d 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, Indian

Servings 5

Calories 560 kcal

Equipment

• Skewers
• Raised-edge baking tray
• Baking paper
• Blender/food processor
• Large saucepan with lid

Ingredients

  

Chicken Tikka Marinade

• 1200 g Chicken breast
• 250 g 0.1% Yogurt
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 5 cloves Garlic Minced
• 1 tbsp Ginger Minced
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 2 tsp Garam masala
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Tumeric
• 1 tsp Ground coriander
• 1 tsp Pepper

Masala Sauce

• 1.5 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 small Onion Chopped
• 1 tbsp Ginger
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Ground coriander
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1/2 tbsp Tomato puree
• 500 g Tomato sauce
• 200 ml Water
• 300 g Heavy cream
• 20 g Fresh coriander Chopped
• 2.5 tbsp Granulated sweetener
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 3.5 tsp Salt (or to taste)
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

 

The Chicken Tikka

• Slice the chicken into bite-sized cubes
• Combine the cubed chicken with all of the marinade ingredients and stir until well-coated
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight if possible
• Preheat the oven to 250°C. Line a raised-edge baking pan or roasting tray with parchment paper
• Place the marinated chicken pieces on skewers, then set them over the prepared baking pan, making sure there is space underneath the chicken to help distribute the heat more evenly. Bake for about 15 minutes, until slightly dark brown on the edges
  

The Masala Sauce

• Blend the onion, garlic and ginger together
• Prepare a bowl with the spices: cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, paprika, chili powder, garam masala, salt, pepper and chopped coriander
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion, garlic and ginger mix until tender but not browned
• Add the spices and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, until the spices are fragrant
• Stir in the tomato puree, tomato sauce, sweetener, lemon juice and water, then simmer for about 5 minutes
• Pour in the cream and simmer for about 5 minutes
• Blend the sauce with a hand blade to smoothen it out and mix the flavours
• Remove the chicken from the skewers and add to the sauce and simmer with the lid on, on a very low heat for another 5-10 minutes
• Garnish with coriander and serve over rice or with naan bread

Notes

NUTRITIONAL VALUES (per serving)

Calories: 560

Protein: 60g

Carbohydrate: 17g (of which 11g sugars)

Fat: 27g (of which 14g saturates)

Fibre: 3g

Keyword High-protein, High-protein Indian Food