Chicken Tikka Masala (Dish of the Day)

I've made at least two previous versions of chicken tikka masala. And while this version couldn't hold a candle to Iyer's rendition of it, it was still quite good. TF and the Kidlet especially seemed to enjoy it. And I appreciate that it came together relatively easily as well.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
• juice of 1 1/2 limes
• 4 tsp. ginger paste, divided
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds, ground and divided
• 1 tsp. bin bhuna hua garam masala
• 2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 500g skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, divided
• 1 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1-2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp. coriander, ground
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies
• 400mL diced tomatoes
• 1 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chile, minced
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream¹
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 tsp. Punjabi garam masala²
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions

1. Combine the yogurt, lime juice, 1 Tbsp. of the ginger paste, 1 tsp. of the cumin, untoasted garam masala, and paprika and mix well.
2. Add the chicken and toss to combine.
3. Cover and chill for 1-8 hours.
4. When ready to cook, preheat the broiler (on high if it has multiple settings) and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
5. Shake off any excess marinade and place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Season with 1/2 tsp. of the salt and drizzle with the oil.
7. Broil until it develops some good colour and a bit of char (~5 minutes).
8. Turn and continue broiling until other side is also darkened (~5 minutes more).
9. Meanwhile, heat the ghee over medium-high heat.
10. Add the onion, garlic, and remaining 1 tsp. of ginger paste and cook until softened (3-5 minutes).
11. Add the cardamom, coriander, turmeric, ground chilies, and remaining 1 tsp. of cumin and cook for another minute.
12. Add the tomatoes and any residual marinade from the chicken and cook until sauce thickens (5-10 minutes).
13. Add the fresh chile, cream, and water, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce thickens again (another 10 minutes or so).
14. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce along with the Punjabi garam masala and remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt and cook until heated through.
15. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and serve.

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¹ I actually swapped out the heavy (double) cream for half-and-half (10% MF). Mostly because I had it and it needs to be used. That said, if you want maximum richness, go for the full fat cream. If you want minimum calories, you can get away with half-and-half, but table (single/18%) cream would probably be better if you have it. ^Back
2 The original recipe calls for 1 1/4 tsp. "garam masala" (which generally means bin bhuna hua garam masala) which then gets divided between the marinade and the sauce. That said, since the last 1/4 tsp. of garam masala doesn't get added until right near the end of cooking, I think that a toasted blend like Punjabi garam masala would work better there while the untoasted blend goes into the marinade. And that's how I'd meant to prepare mine. Unfortunately, I got a bit muddled and put the full 1 1/4 tsp. of garam masala into the marinade and forgot to put any in the sauce. Whoops! But that's why I write up these notes. Now I'll have better instructions for next time. ^Back