Juicy chicken tikka masala: a creamy, mildly spicy sauce with curry and ginger

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Marinate the chicken

   35 min

   Cut the chicken breasts into pieces about 3 cm across. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, crushed garlic, curry powder, cumin, salt, and lemon juice. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Brown the chicken

   10 min

   Heat the oil in a large skillet. Working in batches, cook the chicken with any marinade clinging to it over high heat for 3–4 minutes, until browned around the edges. The pieces do not need to be cooked through yet; they will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer to a plate.

3. Cook the rice

   20 min

   Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs clear. Add 450 ml water and salt, cover, and cook over low heat for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes to finish steaming. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.

4. Prepare the sauce

   15 min

   Add the butter to the same skillet and cook the finely chopped onion over low heat for 8 minutes, until golden. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute, then add the curry powder, coriander, paprika, and ground chili. Toast for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste, pour in the tomato puree, and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Simmer with the chicken

   12 min

   Pour the cream into the sauce, then add the sugar and browned chicken along with any juices on the plate. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the chicken is white inside and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with the rice.

Tip: For even juicier tikka masala, use boneless chicken thighs and simmer them for about 5 minutes longer. For a hotter sauce, add an extra pinch of ground chili or a fresh chili pepper.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Šťavnaté kuracie tikka masala: krémová omáčka vonia kari a zázvorom a páli len jemne