Name: Homemade Indian Chicken Tikka Masala
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 2 pcs onion; 400 ml tomato paste; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 200 ml cream; 2 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon ginger; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 0.5 teaspoon hot paprika; 0.5 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon tandoori masala; salt; ghee; 700 g chicken breast; 200 g plain yogurt; 1 pc lemon; 3 cloves garlic; 1 tablespoon ginger; 1 tablespoon tandoori masala; salt; ground pepper; 1.5 cup basmati rice; 1 teaspoon salt; 1.5 l water; coriander

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Clean the chicken breasts and cut them into bite-sized pieces, about 3 centimeters in size, which will form the base of your tikka masala.
2
In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, pressed garlic, grated ginger, and tandoori masala. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
3
Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30-60 minutes, ideally overnight for deeper flavor.
4
Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, grate the ginger. Measure the spices and tomato passata, and prepare the cream.

Chicken Tikka

5
Heat some ghee in a pan and sear the chicken pieces in two batches over high heat for 4-5 minutes until golden. The meat does not need to be fully cooked through.
6
Set the seared chicken aside on a plate, reserving the juices in the pan for the sauce and keeping them warm.

Sauce

7
In the same pan, add more ghee as needed and sauté the onion over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until it softens and turns golden.
8
Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook for about 1 minute until fragrant but do not let them burn.
9
Add cumin, sweet and hot paprika, turmeric, and tandoori masala if using. Toast the spices for 30 seconds to release their aroma.
TIP:
Add ground sweet paprika to heated fat away from direct flame and immediately stir to prevent it from becoming bitter. Use the same method for other dishes with paprika.
10
Add tomato paste and sauté briefly for about a minute, then pour in the passata, mix, and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
TIP:
Before adding liquid, briefly saute the tomato paste in fat together with the vegetables. This reduces its acidity, enhances its sweetness, and gives the sauce base a fuller, more pronounced flavor.
11
Return the seared chicken and its juices to the sauce, add a little water if needed, and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
12
Lower the heat, stir in the cream, and gently heat the sauce without boiling. Season with salt and adjust spiciness to taste.

Basmati Rice

13
Rinse the rice several times with cold water until the water runs almost clear, then drain it in a sieve.
14
In a pot, bring water to a boil (ratio 1 part rice to 1.5-2 parts water), salt it, and add the rice.
15
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes until tender. Then turn off the heat and let the rice steam, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Assembly and Serving

16
Spoon a mound of hot basmati rice onto a plate, pour over a portion of tikka masala, and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro.
17
Serve immediately, ideally with a lemon wedge for acidity and optionally with naan bread on the side.