Chicken Tikka Masala

Prep time 15min cook time 30 min

The aromatic blend of spices called Garam Masala makes this dish special and is held together with other flavors in a smooth creamy tomato sauce.

There is a scene in the film “A Fish Called Wanda” where John Cleese agonizes about the difficulty to express his affection for Jamie Lee Curtis. Constrained by the English tradition of keeping ones feelings to oneself, the best he can muster is to blurt out the memorable phrase, “It is so difficult to be English”. 

The English are weighed down by centuries of tradition. It is often what makes them so delightfully eccentric. Putting the tea kettle on in any crisis, not asking for help so as not to “put anyone out”, the ability to talk at length about the weather, keeping “a stiff upper lip” in face of adversity, the rigid social class structure and of course The Royal Family.

In food, traditional English food is also “weighty”. It includes spotted dick, toad in a hole, bubble and squeak, bangers and mash, scotch egg not to mention the full English breakfast and Sunday roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. (You can Google those dishes that you are not familiar with). 

And what of Britain’s national dish? Over the years, with the rich influx of immigrants from Asia and India and the very rapid growth of Indian restaurants,  the British quickly adopted a taste for exotic blends with Chicken Tikka Masala becoming one of the most popular dishes. So much so that in 2001 Robin Cook the then Foreign Minister declared “Chicken Tikka Masala is now a true British national dish.” 

 It is easy to prep and cook and best served with basmati rice.

What you need (for two healthy portions)

The marinade and chicken

• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger
• 2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 3 tsp. garam masala
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1tsp salt
• 1/4 cup yogurt (add a couple of tablespoons of water to thin it)
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut up in 1″ bite size chunks

The sauce

• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cardamom pods, crushed
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes ( add more to taste after you have made the sauce)
• 1 14-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cups heavy cream

Cilantro for garnish

What to Do

• Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Set aside. ( You can marinate it longer and even overnight in the fridge if you wish).
• Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often.
• Finely chop the whole tomatoes and add them with juices to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring often until sauce thickens, 10-15 minutes.
• Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally and cook for 5 minutes then keep warm on a very low heat. 
• Preheat broiler on high heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken pieces on rack in a single layer and  broil for about 5-8 minutes until they start to darken in spots (they will not be cooked through).
• Add chicken to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Test for doneness and serve with rice and cilantro. 

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