Very popular dish to come from the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Delhi, where it’s served in most households and restaurants. It was concocted to use leftover tandoori chicken and remove the dryness from the day before. The chicken is typically marinated in some yogurt, lemon juice and a spice mixture and then cooked in a rich butter, cream sauce. The inherent differences between Tikka Masala and Butter chicken is that Tikka tends to be spicier and butter is indeed creamier.
8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
½ stick of unsalted butter
1½ yellow onions – chopped finely
1 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
½ cup of chicken stock
1 serrano chili – split in half and seeds removed
¼ cup of heavy cream
¼ cup of fresh chopped cilantro
1 TSP kosher salt
DRY SPICES
½ TSP fenugreek seeds
1 TBSP fenugreek leaves (methi)
2 TBSP garlic/ginger paste
1 TSP garam masala
1 TSP sweet paprika
¼ TSP ground turmeric
1 whole stick of cinnamon
4 whole cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
MARINADE
¾ cup of Greek yogurt
3 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP garlic/ginger paste
½ TSP ground fenugreek
½ TSP turmeric
½ TBSP fenugreek leaves (methi)
½ TSP garam masala
½ TSP ground cumin
½ TSP ground coriander
Whisk all the ingredients together and add the chicken pieces. Marinate for about 1 hour.
In a medium Dutch oven, add about 2 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP of sunflower oil. Add the dry spices (minus the fenugreek leaves and the garam masala) and toast till fragrant stirring constantly – being very careful they don’t burn.
Add the onions and the serrano and add a pinch of salt. Sauté until transparent. Add the garlic/ginger paste and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and mash them with a potato masher to obtain a smooth sauce. Simmer on low until the sauce has thickened about 45 minutes, stirring often. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and remove the cinnamon stick. Puree with an immersion blender and add 2 more TBSP of butter and the cream and blend till smooth and creamy. Return to the pot and adjust seasonings. Set aside till the chicken has cooked in the oven.
Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade and place them on a foil covered cookie sheet. Bake them about 7-8 minutes per side. Cool and cut them in to bite size pieces. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook at a gentle simmer, covered till the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Serve chopped cilantro, a drizzle of yogurt and rice with naan bread if desired.
NOTE
This dish that can be the day ahead as the flavors will marry and the flavors will intensify and will be even better the next day.
