Chicken tikka masala starts life on a skewer. The chicken is marinated and charred in the tandoor first, which is what separates a real tikka masala from a plain tomato curry — you can taste the smoke through the sauce.
The gravy is cooked down from onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic with coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala, then loosened with a little cream. It is a fuller, spicier curry than butter chicken, and it is the one to order when you want your Indian dinner in Calgary NE to have some backbone.
How Our Tikka Masala Is Built
Onions are browned slowly, tomatoes are cooked until the oil separates, and the ground spices go in early so they bloom rather than taste raw. Only then does the grilled chicken tikka join the pan, so the pieces soak up the masala in the last few minutes without falling apart. Cream is a finishing touch, not the base.
What Goes With Chicken Tikka Masala
Breads
Garlic naan is the obvious partner; plain roti or roti with desi ghee keeps it simple.
Rice
Jeera rice for aroma, plain rice if you want the masala to do the talking.
Balance the heat
Mix raita, mango lassi or a sweet lassi cools medium and hot spice levels nicely.
