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Recipe of the day: Celebrate Diwali with a chicken tikka masala and roti recipe
Celebrate Diwali with this delicious, spicy chicken tikka masala served with ultra soft flatbread.
Picture: iStock
Happy Diwali! Millions of homes around the world are observing Diwali on 24 October, which is surrounded by the hype of activity and the festival of lights globally.
Indian cuisine is known for its rich, spicy, flavoursome curries, soft flatbreads or naan or roti and basmati rice.
What better way to make Diwali than a chicken tikka masala recipe? The chicken can be made over a braai having a final result of tender and juicy pieces of charred chicken.
ALSO READ: Diwali 2022: What goes on in an Indian household ahead of the festival?
These recipes will take you straight to an Indian home or your favourite Indian restaurant.
Chicken Tikka masala
Celebrate Diwali with this delicious, spicy chicken tikka masala served with ultra soft flatbread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Tikka masala
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1 cup plain yoghurt or Greek yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder (not cayenne pepper)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small bite-sized pieces
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 8 ounce can of tomato sauce (unseasoned)
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup water, only if needed
Flatbread
- 3 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Chicken Tikka masala
- In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade; add the chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate for 15 minutes to 1 hour (ideally overnight in the fridge, if time permits).
- Warm oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add chicken pieces in batches, if necessary, making sure not to crowd the pan. Let them fry, untouched, for 1 minute to develop a crust, then sauté until browned for about 5 more minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Sauté the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add ginger and garlic; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in the brown sugar, coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt. Stir occasionally for about 15 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomato sauce; let simmer gently for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes deeper in colour.
- Stir in the cream until incorporated.
- Add the partially cooked chicken along with its juices back to the pan; cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, only if necessary.
- Serve over cooked basmati rice, with Naan bread and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Flatbread
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, water, and salt. Stir until well combined.
- Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes. The dough should come together to be soft and smooth.
- Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for about 1 hour.
- Heat a lightly oiled skillet or griddle to medium-high heat.
- Remove from bowl and divide into 8 evenly sized pieces. Roll out each piece so that it is about 1/4″ thick.
- Transfer chapati to the skillet and cook for about 30-60 seconds or until golden brown dots start to form on the bottom. Flip and continue to cook until the other side forms those same dots. If a large bubble forms in the middle, gently press it down.
- Transfer to a serve platter and cover until ready to serve.
Notes
*Can substitute for 1/2 whole wheat flour. Any more can really impact the texture and hydration of the dough.
This recipe can be found mildlymeandering.com and bellyfull.net
