Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

The word Tikka means pieces or bits. Chicken Tikka Masala is a delicious dish in which pre-marinated pieces of chicken are grilled and then added to a thick creamy gravy. The result is a lovely smokey flavor. Serve Chicken Tikka Masala with hot Naans (leavened Tandoor-baked flatbread).

Ingredients:::

Ingredients

Marination:

• 400 gms chicken fillets (boneless chicken)
• 1tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• Lemon juice from ½ lemon
• ½ cup hung yogurt ( 1 cup yogurt to get ½ a cup, this depends on your yogurt)
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil for frying

For gravy:

• 3 tbsps oil
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 black cardomom
• 3 green cardamom
• 5 cloves
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 3 medium onions finely chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes pureed
• 2 tsps ginger garlic paste
• 1 ½ tsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 4 tbsps cashewnut paste
• ½ tsp Kasuri methi
• ¼ cup cream
• Garam masala
• Biriyani masala as required
• Coriander leaves chopped

Method:::

1. Wash chicken pieces thoroughly, drain the water completely, pat dry with a disposable cloth or kitchen tissue or something of that sort.
2. Mix all the marinating ingredients and marinate the chicken and refrigerate for atleast 2 hrs. or overnight, to get the best out of it.
3. Heat a non stick pan with 1 tbsp of oil, remove the excess marination from the chicken pieces and fry them on a high flame till they are almost cooked. 
4. Do not burn the pieces or the masala as they tend to leave a bitter taste. So continuously keep stirring the pieces, no problem if they brown. 
5. Doing this on a low flame or medium flame can entirely spoil your dish by releasing lot of moisture and can become like curry. So take care.
6. Once the chicken is almost cooked, remove the excess marination & add these pieces to the same  tawa and fry  for 2 mins on a high flame. set this tawa aside. 
7. Heat another pan or can use the same one by adding oil add cumin and sauté to get an aroma. add all the dry masala / spices now and fry them for a min
8. Add chopped onions, fry evenly till they turn slightly brown
9. Add ginger garlic paste and fry to get an aroma
10. Add tomato puree,turmeric,red chili pow, coriander pow, salt and mix.
11. Add cashew  paste, fry till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
12. Add chicken pieces, mix well and fry for a min.
13. Add enough water to adjust  the consistency, 
14. Add kasuri methi and , cook for 2 to 3 mins.
15. Pour in the cream, add garam masala and add coriander leaves, off the flame.
16. Chicken tikka masala is ready to serve.

Tip::: 

• To get a genuine smokey restaurant taste in your homemade Chicken Tikka Masala: Make a small bowl out of aluminum foil and place on top of the cooked Chiken Tikka Masala. 
• Now burn a golf ball-sized lump of coal till red hot. 
• Place this piece of coal in the foil 'bowl' and immediately cover the chicken dish. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. 
• Uncover, remove coal and foil 'bowl', garnish Chicken Tikka Masala and serve.