Quick Chicken Tikka Masala

In India, tikkas are simply small pieces of anything, and in this much-loved curry it's chicken. Traditionally the chicken pieces marinate in spices for hours and are then grilled in a clay oven and added to a rich tomato-based sauce. But to make the process simpler and quicker, we skip the marinating, brown the seasoned chicken in a hot skillet, and simmer it in the masala mixture. For authentic color and flavor, plan ahead to have the Kashmiri chili and fenugreek leaves on hand. Or skip them; the dish will still taste great. The recipe is a Yummly original created by Prerna Singh.

Author: OnlineCook

Meal Type: Eggs Free

Cuisine: Indian

Difficulty: EASY

Prep. Time:

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 523 kcal per serving

Ingredients

1 ½ inch - fresh ginger
10 cloves - garlic
1 lb - boneless chicken thighs
⅓ cup - plain yogurt
1 tsp - ground coriander
½ tsp - salt
¼ tsp - ground turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons - canola oil
1 tsp - Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tbsp - canola oil
1 tbsp - ground coriander
1 tsp - ground cumin
1 - diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons - heavy cream
¾ cup - water
1 ½ teaspoons - dried fenugreek leaves
steamed basmati rice

Instructions

Scrape the peel from the ginger with a spoon, then coarsely chop ginger. Blend the ginger and garlic into a smooth paste using a mini food processor. Alternately, finely grate the ginger, mince the garlic, and combine. (You'll have enough for this recipe plus extra for another use.) Set 1 1/2 teaspoon, and 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste aside and refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to one week.
Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine chicken with the 1 1/2 teaspoon of reserved ginger-garlic paste, the yogurt, coriander, salt, turmeric, oil, and Kashmiri chili.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred (chicken may not be quite cooked through), about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the oil and reserved 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 10-15 seconds.
Add the coriander and cumin and stir until sizzling, then stir in the tomatoes. Continue to cook over medium-low until tomatoes have softened and most of the liquid has cooked off, 5-8 minutes.
Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender and add the cream. Blend into a smooth paste. Add the water and blend again.
Return tomato mixture to the skillet, add the chicken, and stir well to combine. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through and flavors are blended, 3-5 minutes.
Remove chicken from the heat. Sprinkle the fenugreek on top, if using. Let chicken stand, covered, 5-10 minutes before serving for flavors to blend. Serve with basmati rice.

Nutrition