Chicken Tikka Masala is one of those foods whose origins are the subject of spicy debate. Is it genuine Indian? Or a dubious patchwork, created by a British chef to mask the dryness of his tikka (chicken kabobs)? Regardless, it is one of Britain’s most popular foods, simply abbreviated to “CTM.”
Essentially it is chicken pieces marinated in Indian spices, garlic, ginger and yogurt, grilled at high heat, then simmered in a silky sauce of onion, tomatoes and cream. I saw a few references to it recently - from one of those super-fast-motion video recipe demonstrations, to seeing it on a couple of menus in non-Indian restaurants. So I hankered to make my own.
There was no entry for it in either of my Indian cookbooks, so I went searching on the internet, where I settled on this version from Bon Appetit. It seemed to be well received, with the only complaint that it was a bit too mild - so feel free to increase the spices (I doubled them with success).
Served over basmati rice, and/or with naan bread, it’s not too difficult – just remember that you’re not going to eat it until the next day!
INGREDIENTS
6 garlic cloves, finely grated
4 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger
4 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. garam masala
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 cups whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
3 Tbsp. ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cardamom pods, crushed
2 dried chiles de árbol or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, like San Marzano
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
Steamed basmati rice (for serving)
RECIPE PREPARATION
Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture.
Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes.
Add cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes.
Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, add to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Serve with rice and cilantro sprigs, or cover, chill, and reheat before serving up to two days ahead.
By the way, I read recently that saying “Bon Appetit” is not necessarily cool in France, as it literally means something like “have a good digestive experience!” But I figure, if you throw enough spice in this CTM, your own digestive experience should be highly memorable.
Nick Roumel is a principal with Nacht & Roumel, PC, a firm in Ann Arbor specializing in employment and civil right litigation. He also has many years of varied restaurant and catering experience, has taught Greek cooking classes, and writes a food/restaurant column for “Current” magazine in Ann Arbor. Follow him at @nickroumel.
