Chicken Tikka Masala

Foodedo recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala

55 min · 

Chicken Tikka Masala is a deeply satisfying, crowd-pleasing dish of tender chicken simmered in a rich, warmly spiced tomato and coconut sauce. A proper spice blend — including cumin, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, and a touch of chilli — gives this dish its characteristic depth and colour. It's surprisingly simple to pull together on a weeknight, and the results taste like something far more involved. Serve it over fluffy rice to soak up every drop of that gorgeous sauce.

Ingredients

19 items

  • 600 gchicken breastdiced
  • 300 gwhite ricerinsed
  • 2 tbspneutral oil
  • 1yellow onionfinely diced
  • 4garlicminced
  • 20 gfresh gingerfinely grated
  • 1 tspgaram masala
  • 1.5 tspground cumin
  • 1.5 tspground coriander
  • ½ tspground turmeric
  • 1 tspsmoked paprika
  • ½ tspchilli powder
  • 2 tbsptomato paste
  • 400 gcanned crushed tomatoes
  • 400 mlcoconut milk
  • 1 tspsugar
  • —salt
  • —black pepper
  • 1 handfulfresh cilantroroughly chopped

Method

7 steps

  1. Step 1. Cook the rice: Combine the rinsed rice with 600 ml of cold water and a generous pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover tightly, and cook for 15–18 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered to steam while you finish the curry.

  2. Step 2. Sauté the aromatics: Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1–2 minutes more, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the raw smell has gone.

  3. Step 3. Build the spice base: Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, and chilli powder to the onion mixture and stir constantly for about 60 seconds until deeply fragrant — the spices should smell toasty, not raw. Push the mixture to one side of the pan, add the tomato paste directly to the cleared space, and cook it for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly and smells rich and caramelised. Stir everything together.

  4. Step 4. Brown the chicken: Season the diced chicken generously with salt and pepper, then add it to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pieces are lightly browned on the outside — they don't need to be cooked through yet.

  5. Step 5. Simmer with tomatoes: Pour in the crushed tomatoes, stir everything together, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the colour has deepened.

  6. Step 6. Finish with coconut milk and garam masala: Stir in the coconut milk, garam masala, and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for another 8–10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is rich and creamy — it should coat the back of a spoon. The garam masala is added at the end to preserve its fragrant, floral notes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or a little extra chilli if you like more heat.

  7. Step 7. Serve: Fluff the rice with a fork, then spoon the curry over the rice. Scatter generously with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.