Chicken tikka masala

Even though this is technically not an Indian dish - it was invented in Great Britain, though it's now served in restaurants in India, too - it's still a favourite, and for a reason... The tasty chicken dish combines great with the sweet gravy.

Ingredients

For chicken tikka:

  • some vegetable oil
  • 500 gms chicken breast, cleaned and cubed
  • 1/2 cup yoghurt
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 3 cm ginger, grated
  • 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika powder
  • salt to taste (about 1 tsp)
  • 1 tbsp ghee

For gravy:

  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 2 medium sized onions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 3 cm ginger, grated or chopped finely
  • 2 green chilies, slit length-wise
  • 3 tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • salt to taste (about 1 tsp)

Preparation

Chicken tikka:

  • marinade the chicken with the tomato, ginger, garlic, spices and salt, leave for at least 1-2 hours
  • grill the chicken - or better yet, roast it over a charcoal fire - basting with ghee every couple of minutes
  • when done, keep aside

Gravy:

  • heat the ghee in a thick-bottomed cooking pan a low to medium flame
  • add onions, fry until golden brown
  • lower flame, add garlic, ginger and chilies, fry for a couple of minutes
  • add tomato, cumin, coriander, chili and turmeric, cook gently and stir regularly, until the oil begins to separate, add some water and repeat until the sauce gets mushy
  • add the chicken, cream and salt, and cook for a couple of minutes
  • add lime and garam masala, stir once more, then garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve with rice or bread