Tikka masala is probably not Indian. The dish is generally counted as British-Indian, and the most repeated story places it in Glasgow in the 1970s, where a cook is said to have stirred tomato soup and spices into a dry chicken dish. The origin is disputed, but the agreement is that it came about in Britain. That makes it no less good – just a little younger than most people think.
Tikka masala or butter chicken?
The two are constantly confused. In short: butter chicken is milder and clearer on butter and tomato, while tikka masala has more spice, more acidity and more heat. Butter chicken is often blended completely smooth, whereas tikka masala usually keeps visible pieces of onion and pepper. If you want the mild version, see our butter chicken recipe.
Ingredients (serves 4)
Marinade
- 600 g boneless chicken thighs, in large pieces
- 200 ml plain yoghurt
- 2 tbsp tikka paste or 2 tbsp tikka masala spice
- 2 garlic cloves and 2 cm ginger, grated
- Juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp salt
Sauce
- 3 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 onion and 1 red pepper, in pieces
- 3 garlic cloves and 2 cm ginger
- 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 0.5 tsp turmeric
- 0.5–1 tsp chilli powder
- 400 g passata
- 200 ml coconut milk or double cream
- Salt, and fresh coriander to serve
How to make it
- Marinate the chicken for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
- Give the chicken some colour. Fry the pieces hard in a pan, or put them on a rack under the grill element in the oven for 8–10 minutes. You want black edges – that is the whole point of tikka, which means pieces grilled in a tandoor.
- Fry the vegetables until soft in the ghee, add the garlic and ginger, then all the spices. Let them sizzle until fragrant.
- In with the passata and let the sauce cook for 15 minutes until it thickens.
- Coconut milk or cream is stirred in, and the chicken goes back. Leave it all to sit for 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and more chilli if you want it, and scatter over fresh coriander.
Why charred edges are right
In a tandoor the chicken meets 400°C and picks up black patches in a few minutes. That char is part of the flavour, not a mistake. At home you get closest with the oven grill element on full and the chicken high up.
Frequently asked questions
How hot is tikka masala really? Milder than vindaloo, hotter than korma and butter chicken. With half a teaspoon of chilli powder it is clearly noticeable without taking over.
Can I use a ready-made sauce? Yes. Ready-made curry sauces do the job on a weeknight. If you marinate the chicken yourself and use a ready-made sauce, you get surprisingly far.
Coconut milk or cream? Cream is the most usual in British versions. Coconut milk gives a slightly sweeter and lighter sauce, and makes the dish dairy-free.
See also Indian spices, basmati rice and the whole Indian selection.
