I know the long list of spices makes you think it is a complicated dish but there really is nothing complicated about this dish. It is actually so quick and easy your guests would think you spent hours fussing over it. We often order this from an Indian restaurant, if I don’t feel like cooking. My kids love it because their sauce is kind of sweet. For me, it is far too sweet for a curry. I did add sugar to my sauce and for me the amount I used was perfect. Although my 19-year-old still thought it wasn’t sweet enough. If I wanted a sweet dish then I would have settled for dessert. So if you, like him, loves more sweetness you can add more sugar. Chicken thighs is usually what most people prefer to use for dishes like this. However, my kids don’t enjoy the fattiness of chicken thighs so I used chicken breasts. Chicken breasts won’t char as well as the thighs because chicken breasts cook quicker. Thighs can be cooked for longer and therefore you will get a better result. I literally brown my chicken breasts for about 30 seconds on high heat and remove them. If they not fully cooked do not stress, it will cook further in the sauce. Although I would recommend marinating the chicken overnight, this is when the flavors really get in. If you are short on time an hour of marinating works perfectly fine.
You can also give the dish some smokiness if you wish. I didn’t have any coal so I skipped this bit. Once the Chicken Tikka Masala is cooked. Place a small stainless steel or enamel bowl in the middle of the pot. Place a hot coal inside the bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon of melted ghee on the coal and close the pot. After 30 minutes remove the coal and pour the ghee into the curry. On many occasions I have tried using fresh tomatoes and tomato paste and it didn’t quite work for me. I personally prefer using tomato Passata, it’s an Italian tomato sauce. You can however, use tomatoes if you prefer. Please try and use spices that are roasted and freshly ground, it makes all the difference.
This curry is perfect with some Basmati rice or Naan Bread. If you do try this dish please drop me a comment. I always love hearing from you. If you loved this, please share!
