Chicken Tikka Masala

By anonsouthernbell

Chicken tikka masala is arguably the single most popular Indian restaurant dish in the world. Turns out, it’s not an authentic Indian dish—it was invented in a London curry house. Without historical roots, there is no definitive recipe. The variations we found had mushy or dry chicken and sauces that were unbearably rich and/or overspiced. We wanted an approachable method for producing moist, tender chunks of chicken in a rich, lightly spiced tomato sauce. To season the chicken, we rubbed it with salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne and refrigerated it for 30 to 60 minutes. Then we dipped it in yogurt mixed with oil, garlic, and ginger and broiled it. And since large pieces don’t dry out as quickly as smaller ones under the broiler, we cooked the chicken breasts whole, cutting them into pieces only after cooking. While the chicken was cooking, we made the masala sauce. Masala means “hot spice,” and the ingredients in a masala sauce depend on the whim of the cook, although tomatoes and cream are always present. We added onions, ginger, garlic, chile, and a readily available commercial garam masala spice mixture. A little tomato paste and sugar gave our sauce color and sweetness

Ingredients

• Chicken Tikka:
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 2 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
• 1 1 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
• 2 2 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 2 2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 1 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• Masala Sauce:
• 3 3 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1 1 1/4 onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 2 2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2 2 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 1 1 fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above)
• 1 1 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1 1 tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
• 1 1 can 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen)
• 2 2 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2/3 2/3 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Serve with basmati rice.

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.