Chicken Tikka Masala (Main)
Traditional Indian dish of roasted chunks of chicken in a spicy sauce. The chicken is a very good source of lean protein, while the sauce provides important nutrients such as vitamins A and C as well as calcium.
Ingredients
| For chicken tikka: | |||
| 4 | each |
chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
boneless, skinless free-range (and preferably organic, cut into cubes) |
* |
| 1 | teaspoon |
cayenne pepper
or Kashmiri red pepper powder |
|
| 1 ½ | teaspoons |
garlic and giner paste
grated and combined into a paste |
* |
| 1 ½ | teaspoons |
coriander
powder |
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
garam masala
|
* |
| ½ | cup |
yogurt
natural organic |
|
| 1 ½ | teaspoons |
lemon juice
fresh |
|
| 1 | x |
sea salt
to taste |
* |
| For the tomato sauce: | |||
| 420 | millilitres |
tomato purée (passata)
(pureed tomatoes)? |
* |
| 1 | tablespoon |
garlic
fresh, ground into paste |
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
ginger
fresh, ground into paste |
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
coriander
powder |
|
| 1 ½ | teaspoons |
black pepper
|
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
garam masala
|
* |
| 1 | teaspoon |
fennel seeds
ground into powder? |
|
| ½ | cup |
greek yogurt
thick, natural |
|
| 1 ½ | tablespoons |
olive oil
or coconut oil |
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
coriander
fresh, chopped |
|
| 1 | x |
sea salt
to taste |
* |
Directions
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at an hour.
For Chicken Tikka:Mix all the dry ingredients together with the yoghurt and lemon juice to make a marinade. Add chicken pieces into the marinade.Mix well and cover the bowl. Place in the fridge for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
When ready to use, thread the chicken pieces onto bamboo skewers. Grill the skewered chicken until done.
For the Masala:Heat a heavy-bottom frying pan over medium heat. When ready, pour in the oil and add the ginger and garlic paste. Turn on the heat and let the paste slowly cook as the oil heats up.
When the oil is hot, add onion, coriander, fennel, peppe and garam masala and mix well. Add passata and mix to combine with the spices. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce reduces. Then, add cooked chicken pieces and Greek yoghurt. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce for another 5 to 7 minutes.
Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let it sit for at least 10 minutes to allow all the flavours to develop. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with steamed brown rice or whole-wheat naan bread.
Note: Adapted from indiansimmer. com
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 74g (2.6 oz)
