Chicken tikka masala was invented in Britain — the tikka (grilled marinated chicken) is Indian, but the masala sauce that surrounds it was created in a Glasgow restaurant sometime in the 1970s, making it simultaneously a British and Indian dish. The smoky char on the chicken is essential: the tikka is grilled before it enters the sauce, and those Maillard compounds from the marinade and the heat carry through everything.
The seed oil issue in tikka masala is the same as all Indian restaurant food — commercial operations use cheap vegetable oil. The ghee version tastes significantly richer and the smoke flavour from the ghee-marinated chicken complements the tomato-cream sauce in a way the canola version simply does not.
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients
- 600g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- For the tikka marinade: 150ml whole-milk yoghurt, 2 tbsp ghee, 2 tsp tikka masala spice blend, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground cumin, juice of ½ lemon, 1 tsp salt
- For the masala sauce: 2 tbsp ghee, 1 large onion (finely diced), 4 garlic cloves (minced), 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated), 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 400g crushed tomatoes, 200ml single cream, salt
- Steamed basmati rice and warm naan to serve
Method
- Combine all marinade ingredients. Cut the chicken into large chunks (5-6cm). Toss in the marinade. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers. Grill or broil on the highest setting for 4-5 minutes per side until charred in spots and cooked through. The char is important — do not skip it.
- Make the masala sauce: heat the ghee over medium heat in a saucepan. Cook the onion for 10 minutes until deeply golden.
- Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened and the oil separates.
- Blend the sauce smooth using a stick blender or allow to cool and blend in a jug blender.
- Return the blended sauce to the pan. Stir in the cream. Add the grilled chicken chunks. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Season and serve over rice.
Is chicken tikka masala seed oil free?
Yes when cooked in ghee. Restaurant tikka masala invariably uses vegetable or canola oil for both the marinade and the sauce.
Do I have to grill the chicken?
Yes. The char on the tikka is a defining flavour component. Without it, the dish is just butter chicken with different spices. Use the highest oven grill setting if you do not have an outdoor grill.
Can I use coconut cream instead of dairy cream?
Yes — coconut cream produces a slightly sweeter, less tangy sauce. Reduce the garam masala by ¼ tsp to compensate for the added sweetness.
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