Tikka Masala is an easy, sweet and spicy sauce that is thick, rich and creamy with an intense color of orange and red blend that has several spices blended together with creamy yogurt covering cubes of meat leaving you with an intense flavor all served over rice. A robust dish, Chicken or Pork Tikka Masala, is a classic with precooked chicken or pork tikka dunked masaledar, thick gravy. It is an appetizing dishes and the curry is packed with flavor!
I usually make this with Chicken, but I found out Pork is just as amazing, if not better. But if you don't eat pork like one of my kids, I always have chicken breast on hand to cook separately and just add it to the sauce I set aside just for her. Oh the things a mother would do for her children :D
I am a big fan of Indian Cuisine. The spicier the better! I was still in high school when I was first introduced to Indian food. I grew up in Maryland. There, I met a family from Visakhapatnam. Yeah say that 10x fast :D And wow! JUST WOW! The spices are incredible. I was so glad to try something new and love it! I lost touch with them when I joined the Navy and left home for good, but everywhere life took me, I managed to find a place to just sit and enjoy amazing Indian dishes. My favorite TIKKA MASALA. Most of the ones I've visited would let you have a tasting, so I get lamb, chicken and pork :) When I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, the first place I looked for was , guess what? Yup you guessed it. Indian Restaurant!!!! There were several and yes, I tried them all!!!
I couldn’t wait to give it a try at home. The first ones I made were OK and then I learned to play with spices, cook time and OMG. It turned out absolutely amazing and I love that it has a secret ingredient of greek yogurt inside. The spices and flavor maintained throughout the cooking process. My first bite was incredible. The meat just melted in my mouth and the flavor was perfect just like I remembered. Even the picky eaters in my family love it.
Chicken or Pork Tikka Masala Ingredients:
Don’t let this ingredient list scare you away! This is a simple one pot meal that is perfect for stovetop and a slow cooker. Seriously!
- Country Ribs or Pork Tenderloin / Chicken Breast: The meat does not need to be cooked prior to adding in sauce. But I find that it tastes so much better when the meat is lightly grilled. The grilling incorporates the marinade into the meat. (and I snack on it while waiting for the sauce to finish...shhhhh)
- Onion: Even if you are not an onion, this is actually a small and subtle hint of flavor in this tikka masala recipe.
- Garlic: Always a favorite in my book!
- Ginger: Fresh and grated. Using a grater with the smallest grated holes is best. No grater? Chop it finely. Let the knife do all the work.
- Jalapeno pepper if you are going for that extra extra kick
- Tomato Puree: This is the base and does turn the sauce to a orange/red color. I use fresh tomatoes and I always keep roasted tomatoes in the fridge for this.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: I am a huge fan on using yogurt when possible. It is rich, thick and creamy with an extra flavor. Another secret, try it with Vanilla flavored Greek Yogurt, adds a little zing and fragrance. I don't know how. It just does :)
- Olive Oil: Adds flavor as well as a richness to this creamy sauce.
- Garam Masala: This is a special seasoning with a blend of seasons within it. This seasoning will add warmth and sweetness to the sauce.
- Cumin: This spice is perfect for using in a curry mixture.
- Paprika: Adding a little bit of spice to this is a fun touch!
- Turmeric: Adds color to your dish and that distinct Indian cuisine aroma.
- Salt and Pepper: Just a pinch.
- Cinnamon: A secret ingredient that adds so much flavor and sweetness!
- Cayenne Pepper: A little extra heat added to the sauce.
- Bay Leaves: This is strictly for flavoring and soaking in throughout the cooking process. Remove before serving.
- Heavy Cream or coconut milk: Oh that coconut scent and flavor.
- Cilantro: Chopped and used for a garnish.
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- Chicken: I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts for this recipe, but thighs will also work. Make sure to chop the chicken into 1-inch cubes, so they cook evenly. For those that like dark meat chicken, the thighs are a better option here as they’re more flavorful and more traditionally used.
- Pork: Country ribs or tenderloin are good.
- Greek yogurt: used as a tenderizer in this recipe to marinate the chicken
- lemon juice: used as a tenderizer in this recipe to marinate the chicken
- grated or finely chopped ginger: an aromatic to help flavor the chicken
- grated or crushed and finely chopped garlic: an aromatic to help season the chicken
- What's in the Sauce?
- Olive oil: we’ll use it to brown the chicken before simmering the sauce. We do use a bit more oil in the stovetop version than the one for the instant pot.
- Tomato puree: you want to use a tomato puree that doesn’t contain anything but pureed tomatoes. I make my own and also roast some to keep in the fridge. If you have canned whole, halved or diced tomatoes, just run them through the blender, so it’s a puree before adding them to the sauce. It’s important to do this, so our cream sauce doesn’t have chunks of whole tomatoes in it at the end.
- Grated ginger + garlic: the heart and soul of Indian cuisine
- spices: we’re using a ton here! That’s what gives tikka masala that flavor. I’ve got ground cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, ground turmeric, and cayenne pepper on hand just for this! Husband thinks I'm crazy sometimes, having all these spices in our cupboard, but he's not complaining when the dishes are served :D
- Heavy cream or Coconut Milk: be sure to use heavy cream or coconut milk for this recipe. I’ve tested it with half and half as well, and though it does work, I find the heavy cream or coconut milk balances and mellows out the spices better because of the higher fat content.
Ingredients for Meat Marinade:
- * 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (tenders or thighs), or country ribs/tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
- * 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ cup Greek yogurt
- * 3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- * 1 teaspoon EACH: grated ginger (or paste) AND garam masala
- * ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- * 1/2 tsp Turmeric
Tikka masala:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp grated ginger (or paste)
- 8 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 1 tsp EACH: ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, AND garam masala (see notes for garam masala)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce or puree
- ½ cup heavy cream or 1 can coconut cream
- cooked basmati or jasmine rice + naan + chopped cilantro, for serving
MARINATE THE MEAT: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, ground white pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and garam masala. Add the cubed meats and mix; set aside for at least 30 minutes. If you’ve got time, I suggest covering with plastic wrap and letting it hang out in the refrigerator for 1-10 hours.
COOK:
STOVE TOP:
1. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet along with the grated ginger and garlic and cook for 1-minute scraping and removing any stuck-on bits.
2. Add all the spices (including the bay leaves,) and give it 30 seconds before adding the tomato puree. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and allow the sauce to reach a simmer, once simmering, add ¼ cup of water, lower the heat to low and allow the sauce to continue cooking for 20 minutes.
3. Add the meat back into the pan, stir to combine.
4. Brown garlic, onions, sliced jalapeno, diced tomatoes. (It's so steamy so you can barely see them cooking :()
- 5. Add chicken broth and coconut milk. Bring to boil. Turn down heat to simmer for 10 min. Add meat, potatoes, carrots and celery. Give it a quick stir and submerge all the added ingredients. Simmer for another 30 min or until meat and veg are cooked through and tender.
- **If you're cooking the meat first, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large dutch oven or sauté pan. When heated, add the marinated meat (along with the marinade) and let saute for 5-7 minutes until meat cooks through, stirring as needed to cook evenly on all sides. Remove the cooked meat from pan, set aside while. Add to sauce once done and simmer for 30 min.
- *Serve with Basmati or Jasmine rice, garnish with chopped cilatro. MMMMMHHHHMMMMM SOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!
- Note: Garam Masala: adjust with additional garam masala at the end if it isn’t spicy enough for you!
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