CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Naturally, being Austrian I am no expert in Indian cuisine - well no expert in any cuisine for that matter...  :-)  But with Indian food I feel a lot more insecure, as I don't know how all the spices work and come together, or more precisely, if it does not taste right, which spice is missing or too much.

Needless to say, I was intrigued and tried a couple of Tikka Masalas before, but they just didn't taste at all like I wanted them to taste, and I ended up with a lot of spices I had no further use for. So after these couple of attempts it was very clear that Indian restaurants and take-aways were the only real satisfactory answer for me. Until I received this recipe! It was a dinner invitation and my hosts, judging by the beautiful and delicious dinner we had, were a lot more knowledgeable in cooking Indian food. I got to watch in the kitchen
and found the recipe in my mailbox on the next day and have made it many times since, following it to the T: and the great thing, every time it has turned out scrumptious! For me it tastes so authentic - well as authentic as the Anglo-Indian versions I know from the UK. It's a little time-consuming and rich; a special treat we make a big fuss about - and needless to say, fight over the left-overs. Serve with it's (other) fail-safe companion: FRAGRANT PILAU RICE. Or just have the Chicken Tikka without the Masala Sauce, with salad, chutney, Naan bread or Poppadoms on the side. PS: there is a bit of cheating in this recipe as I use 'PATAK's Tikka Masala Mix', but just for the marinade. I am not quite sure why, other than trying to use up the many jars I stocked up on during one of our trips back to the UK. Will stop bad habit after use of last jar :-)  In any case, I have added the recipe for the original marinade on the bottom of the page. 

Recipe Source (original recipe source unknown): Dinner at Frank & Elvira

Serves 4 depending on height and appetite  ;-) 

(I tend to make twice the amount as stated below, as we really like to eat it again the next day)

For the Chicken Tikka : 'Cheating' Marinade Method: 
(see below for ingredients and recipe for the original Chicken Tikka Marinade)

450g boneless, skinned chicken breast
2-3 Tbsp (30-45ml) PATAK's Tikka Masala Mix

125g Greek yoghurt
Important equipment: large (metal) skewers and an oven-proof dish slightly smaller than the length of the skewers

For the Masala Sauce: 

½ inch root ginger

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt, or to taste

50g unsalted butter

1 small onion

¼ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp garam masala

¼ - ½ tsp chilli powder

125ml liquid, made up of the reserved juice from the precooked Chicken Tikka and warm water

300ml double cream
2 heaped Tbsp ground almonds

First make the Chicken Tikka: 
Marinate the chicken for 6-8 hours, or even better overnight: dry the chicken breasts with kitchen paper, then cut them into app. 3 cm cubes. Put the yoghurt into a large enough bowl to hold the chicken, add the Tikka Masala Mix and stir well. Add the chicken cubes and coat the pieces well with the marinade. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 6-8 hours, or better over night.

After 6-8 hours, or on the next day, preheat the oven to 230°C. Line a roasting dish with alu foil. This helps to maintain the high temperature that is needed to cook the chicken quickly and evenly without drying out. Thread the chicken pieces onto large skewers, leaving a small gap between so that the heat can circulate freely around the chicken pieces. Place the skewers onto the rim of the prepared dish, then brush the chicken with some of the remaining marinade. Place the dish in the centre of the oven and roast the chicken for 6-8 minutes. After this time turn the skewers over and brush the pieces with the remaining marinade. Return the tin to the oven and cook for a further 6-8 minutes. Remove the dish form the oven and remove the skewers to a plate.

The Chicken Tikka can now be served as a dish in its own right with salad and Naan bread or Poppadoms on the side.

 

For the Masala Sauce: 

Prepare the hot stock. Pour a little of the stock into the tin to soften the burnt on pieces and juices.

Peel the ginger and garlic, then cut them into smallish pieces. Put them together with 1/2 tsp of the salt in a pestle & mortar and crush them into a pulp. (Alternatively use a knife: first chop the garlic and ginger finely, then sprinkle over 1/2 tsp of the salt that will aid as an abrasive. With the flat side of the knife blade press the pieces against the board to squash them into a paste. Go through the pile a couple of times until you have a smooth paste.)

Peel the onions, then cut them into small dice. Melt the butter and sweat the onions over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.

Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and chilli powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the liquid and stir. 

Gradually add the cream and stir. Add the remaining salt and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the chicken. Adjust the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the ground almonds and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat. The dish at this point looks still a little yellow, but turns more and more orange as the colour of the meat dissolves into the sauce.

Serve with FRAGRANT PILAU RICE and Poppadoms on the side.

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CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA      

Serves 4 depending on height and appetite  ;-) 

(I tend to make twice the amount as stated below, as we really like to eat it again the next day)

For the Chicken Tikka : 'Cheating' Marinade Method: 

(see below for ingredients and recipe for the original Chicken Tikka Marinade)

450g boneless, skinned chicken breast

2-3 Tbsp (30-45ml) PATAK's Tikka Masala Mix

125g Greek yoghurt

Important equipment: large (metal) skewers and an oven-proof dish slightly smaller than the length of the skewers

For the Masala Sauce: 

½ inch root ginger

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt, or to taste

50g unsalted butter

1 small onion

¼ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp garam masala

¼ - ½ tsp chilli powder

125ml liquid, made up of the reserved juice from the precooked Chicken Tikka and warm water

300ml double cream

2 heaped Tbsp ground almonds

Marinate the chicken for 6-8 hours or overnight: 

1) Prepare the chicken breasts: Dry the chicken breasts with kitchen paper, then cut them into app. 3 cm cubes. 

2) Prepare the marinade: Put the yoghurt into a large enough bowl to hold the chicken, add the Tikka Masala Mix and stir well. 

3) Marinade the chicken: Add the chicken cubes and coat the pieces well with the marinade. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 6-8 hours, or better over night.

Make the Chicken Tikka: 

4) Pre-heat the oven: After 6-8 hours of marinating, or on the next day, preheat the oven to 230°C. 

5) Backform vorbereiten: Line a roasting dish with alu foil. This helps to maintain the high temperature that is needed to cook the chicken quickly and evenly without drying out. 

6) Thread chicken pieces onto larger skewers: Thread the chicken pieces onto large skewers, leaving a small gap between so that the heat can circulate freely around the chicken pieces. Place the skewers onto the rim of the prepared dish, then brush the chicken with some of the remaining marinade. 

7) Roast chicken in the oven: Place the dish in the centre of the oven and roast the chicken for 6-8 minutes. After this time turn the skewers over and brush the pieces with the remaining marinade. Return the tin to the oven and cook for a further 6-8 minutes. Remove the dish form the oven and remove the skewers to a plate.

The Chicken Tikka can now be served as a dish in its own right with salad and Naan bread or Poppadoms on the side.

Make the Masala Sauce: 

8) Deglaze the roasting pan: Prepare the hot stock. Pour a little of the stock into the chicken roasting tin to soften the burnt on pieces and juices.

9) Crush ginger and garlic: Peel the ginger and garlic, then cut them into smallish pieces. Put them together with 1/2 tsp of the salt in a pestle & mortar and crush them into a pulp. (Alternatively use a knife: first chop the garlic and ginger finely, then sprinkle over 1/2 tsp of the salt that will aid as an abrasive. With the flat side of the knife blade press the pieces against the board to squash them into a paste. Go through the pile a couple of times until you have a smooth paste.)

10) Sweat the onion garlic-ginger paste: the onions, then cut them into small dice. Melt the butter and sweat the onions over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.

11) Add the spices: Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and chilli powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. 

12) Add the liquid: Add the liquid and stir. 

13) Add the cream and simmer gently:  Gradually add the cream and stir. Add the remaining salt and simmer for 5 minutes. 

14) Add the chicken pieces and simmer: then add the chicken. Adjust the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. 

15) Add almonds: Stir in the ground almonds and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat. The dish at this point looks still a little yellow, but turns more and more orange as the colour of the meat dissolves into the sauce.

16) Serve: Serve with FRAGRANT PILAU RICE and Poppadoms on the side.

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Ingredients Chicken Tikka: Original Marinade: 

450g boneless, skinned chicken breast

1 tsp salt

Juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp tandoori colour or a few drops of red food colouring mixed with 1 tsp tomato puree

2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

½ inch cube of root ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground allspice or garam masala

¼ tsp ground turmeric

125 g thick set natural yoghurt

4 Tbsp corn or vegetable oil

½ tsp chilli powder

Marinate the chicken for 6-8 hours over overnight: cut the chicken breast into app. 3 cm cubes and put them into a bowl. Sprinkle the cubes with ½ tsp of the salt, then add the lemon juice. Mix thoroughly, cover and set aside for 30 mins. Put the rest of the ingredients into a food processor or liquidizer and blend until smooth. Put this marinade into a sieve, then, with the use of the back of a spoon, press it through the sieve directly onto the chicken pieces until only a very coarse mixture is left inside the sieve. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the sieved marinade, then cover the bowl and leave to marinate in the fridge for 6-8 hours or over night.