# Chicken Tikka Masala

Charred, yogurt-marinated chicken simmered in a spiced tomato cream sauce, with fluffy basmati rice alongside.

- Total time: 1 hr 2 min (one cook, steps overlapped; 2 hr 15 min if done strictly in order)
- Hands-on time: 27 min
- Serves: 4
- Method: Broiler (also available: Skillet)
- Difficulty: medium
- Source: https://dagwood.blrbdigital.com/r/chicken-tikka-masala

## Ingredients

### Masala sauce

- 3 tbsp ghee. Substitutes: unsalted butter (Just as rich. Keep the heat at medium so it doesn't scorch)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 serrano chile, minced (optional)
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder. Substitutes: sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne (Same deep red color, a little less fruity)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 oz. Substitutes: tomato puree (Smoother sauce, so you can skip blending)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup heavy cream. Substitutes: full-fat coconut milk (Dairy free, with a light coconut flavor)
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi, crushed between your palms (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

### Chicken tikka

- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Substitutes: boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Leaner and quicker to dry out. Pull them as soon as they char)
- 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt. Substitutes: plain Greek yogurt (Thicker coating that chars a little more)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

### Basmati rice

- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice. Substitutes: jasmine rice (Softer and a little sticky. Cut the water to 2 cups)
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt

## Steps (in the fastest order for one cook)

1. [0:00] **Cut** (Chicken tikka): Cut 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1 1/2 inch pieces, trimming off any large bits of fat. _(6 min, hands-on)_
2. [0:06] **Mix** (Chicken tikka): Stir 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt together in a large bowl. _(3 min, hands-on, critical path)_
3. [0:09] **Chop** (Masala sauce): Finely chop 1 large yellow onion. Grate 4 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp fresh ginger. _(6 min, hands-on)_
4. [0:09] **Marinate** (Chicken tikka): Toss the chicken in the marinade until coated, cover and let it sit at room temperature. _(30 min, hands-off, critical path)_
   - Why: The yogurt tenderizes the chicken and gives the char something to cling to.
5. [0:15] **Cook** (Masala sauce): Cook the onion in 3 tbsp ghee in a large pot over medium heat, stirring now and then, until soft and golden. _(10 min, hands-off, medium)_
   - At 4 min in: Stir the onion
   - At 7 min in: Stir, and lower the heat if the edges are darkening
6. [0:15] **Rinse** (Basmati rice): Rinse 1 1/2 cups basmati rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs almost clear. _(2 min, hands-on)_
   - Why: Washing off surface starch keeps the grains separate instead of gummy.
7. [0:17] **Cook** (Basmati rice): Bring the rice, 2 1/4 cups water and 1/2 tsp kosher salt to a boil in a saucepan, then cover and cook over the lowest heat. _(20 min, hands-off, high, then low)_
   - At 5 min in: Once it boils, cover and turn the heat to low
8. [0:25] **Bloom** (Masala sauce): Add the garlic and ginger plus 1 serrano chile and stir for 1 minute. Stir in 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric and 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute more. _(2 min, hands-on, medium)_
   - Why: Frying spices in fat before the liquid goes in deepens their flavor.
9. [0:27] **Simmer** (Masala sauce): Add 1 can crushed tomatoes and 1 tsp kosher salt, bring to a simmer and cook until thick and the fat starts to pool at the edges. _(15 min, hands-off, medium-low)_
   - At 5 min in: Stir, scraping the bottom
   - At 10 min in: Stir again. Add a splash of water if it's catching
10. [0:36] **Preheat** (Chicken tikka): Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches below the element. _(5 min, hands-off, high broil, critical path)_
11. [0:37] **Rest** (Basmati rice): Take the pan off the heat and let it stand, covered, without lifting the lid. _(10 min, hands-off)_
12. [0:39] **Arrange** (Chicken tikka): Set a wire rack in a foil-lined sheet pan and spread the chicken on it in a single layer, letting excess marinade drip off. _(2 min, hands-on, critical path)_
13. [0:41] **Broil** (Chicken tikka): Broil the chicken until charred in spots and just cooked through, flipping halfway. _(12 min, hands-off, high broil, critical path)_
   - At 6 min in: Flip the chicken
14. [0:42] **Blend** (Masala sauce): Blend the sauce smooth with an immersion blender. _(2 min, hands-on, optional)_
   - Why: Gives the silky, restaurant-style sauce instead of a chunky one.
15. [0:47] **Fluff** (Basmati rice): Fluff the rice with a fork. _(1 min, hands-on)_
16. [0:53] **Combine** (Masala sauce): Stir 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves and 1 tsp sugar into the sauce, then add the chicken and any juices. _(2 min, hands-on, critical path)_
17. [0:55] **Simmer** (Masala sauce): Simmer gently until the chicken is hot through and the sauce clings to it. Taste and adjust the salt. _(6 min, hands-off, low, critical path)_
18. [1:01] **Serve** (Masala sauce): Scatter cilantro over the curry and serve it with the rice. _(1 min, hands-on, critical path)_

## Graph

Each step lists the steps that must finish before it starts.

- chop (can start immediately)
- soften after chop
- bloom after soften
- simmer after bloom
- blend after simmer
- mix-marinade (can start immediately)
- cut-chicken (can start immediately)
- marinate after mix-marinade, cut-chicken
- preheat-broiler (can start immediately)
- arrange after marinate
- broil after arrange, preheat-broiler
- rinse (can start immediately)
- cook-rice after rinse
- rest-rice after cook-rice
- fluff after rest-rice
- combine after simmer, blend, broil
- finish after combine
- serve after finish, fluff

## Notes

- For even more tender chicken, marinate it in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours. Let it sit out 20 minutes before cooking.
- Kashmiri chili powder is mild and very red. If you use hot chili powder instead, use half as much.
- The curry is even better the next day. Reheat gently with a splash of water.

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Recipe graph by Dagwood (https://dagwood.blrbdigital.com). Licensed CC BY 4.0. JSON graph: https://dagwood.blrbdigital.com/r/chicken-tikka-masala.json