CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA – Cooking Chicken Tikka Masala in 2 Easy Steps

Chicken Tikka is one of the most famous preparation in India, but when it is cooked in gravy it’s flavours popups out more mesmerizingly rather consumed raw.

In this blog you experience a journey though the amazing flavours that work behind making the perfect Chicken Tikka Masala.

What’s in The Blog

1. History of Origin of Chicken Tikka Masala
2. Ingredients
3. Method of Preparation
4. Nutritional Value
5. Crazy Facts About Chicken Tikka Masala
6. FAQ

1. History of Origin of Chicken Tikka Masala

There are lots of controversies on the point of Origin of the dish,

Some of the people claim that It was made by South-Asian Community in Britain,

On the other hand, some people claim it was made in Indian Subcontinent.

Many food experts, critics and publish different theories about the origin and creation of the delicacy let have to look on few of it.

The Multicultural Handbook Of Food Nutrition And Dietetics

Gives the honour for creation of the dish to Bangladeshi Migrant Chef in 1960s after the migration from East Pakistan now Bangladesh

The chef created many variations of authentic Indian dishes in an inauthentic manner by this way the chef also served Chicken Tikka.

Ethnic Food Historians Peter and Collen Grove have there prospective that the dish has an origin in Britain by Bangladeshi Chef.

Food Critic Rahul Verma publishes in Hindu that he tasted the dish first in 1971 and its Origin is in Punjab the dish was not very old it must be only 40-50 years back

He also suggests that it might be accidentally discovered and have improvements from time by time.

There is another evidence of Origination of the dish in a Cuisines of Glasgow, Scotland,

The owner of Restaurant Shis Mahal British Pakistani Chef Ali Ahmed Aslam have created the dish in his restaurant in the west end of Glasgow by improvements in a sauce made from cream, yogurt and a wide variety of spices.

BBC TV Programme to Lighten Up the History of Chicken Tikka Masala

However in a TV programme about cookery by BBC Hairy Bicker in 2013

Have Asif Aslam the son of Chef Ali Ahmed Aslam as their guest where he shares the entire the incident behind the creation of the delicacy

He shares that it was a dark and wet night in Glasgow

In the Restaurant visited a bus driver just came off shift and he said he like to have a Chicken Curry

When the Chicken Curry was served he called the waiter and give it back giving the reason that it seems very dry,

At that time his father Chef Ali Ahmed Aslam having ulcer therefore having tomato soup

So he thought why not put some soup into the Chicken Curry so he mixes the Chicken Curry with tomato soup and some spices and sent it backed to the the person,

And he just loved the dish

he loves the dish so much that the repeatedly came to have a taste of the dish

He also used to bring his friends also for having a taste of it,

After this event the dish was ultimately added to main menu of Restaurant Shis Mahal.

At this point of time, it is difficult to say the actuality behind the Origin of the dish

As lots of experts and publisher claims and present different perspectives about the question of Origin

So it still remains as a sort of uncertainty behind the Origination of Chicken Tikka Masala.

2. Ingredients

1. Boneless Chicken
2. Mustard Oil
3. Milk
4. Yogurt
5. Tomatoes
6. Lemon Juice
7. Coriander
8. Garlic
9. Black Pepper
10. Cloves
11. Cumin
12. Nutmeg
13. Cinnamon
14. Cardamom
15. Black Cardamom
16. Turmeric
17. Salt
18. Onions
19. Bay leaf
20. Fenugreek
21. Capsicum
22. Cream
23. Cashew Nuts and Melon Seed Paste
24. White Oil
25. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
26. Cream

3. Method Of Preparation

The preparation of Chicken Tikka Masala comes in two-part first making the Chicken Tikka and the last is preparing the Chicken Tikka Masala out of the Chicken Tikkas.

There are as many as 48 documented recipes and all are different the only common ingredient is the main ingredient Chicken.

The method of preparation that I will discuss below

Is according to me one of the tastiest version and most of the restaurants serve this so let us enlighten the recipe.

Preparation Of Chicken Tikka

At first take the chicken and cut deep strip with knife so that the flavours can penetrate through the last layer of Chicken,

Marinate the Chicken with lemon juice, salt and crushed black pepper (crushed black pepper give more prominent flavours than black pepper powder) and

Take it to refrigerator for two three hours this will make the Chicken more soft and tender so that the chicken can absorb all the flavours,

Then take a bowl and further marinate the Chicken

With yogurt, tomato puree, mustard oil, milk, coriander powder, cinnamon powder, cumin powder, cardamom, black cardamom, nutmeg, garlic paste, chopped green chilies and turmeric powder,

And refrigerate the marination for 48 hours for the best results

As more time helps to absorb more flavour deep into the Chicken

Now take the Chicken and pears it to a skewers and tandoor it,

In most of the cases there is question of availability of tandoor domestically

Therefore it is recommended by me to grill it on a charcoal barbeque

If charcoal barbeque is not available we can also use microwave for grill

Or if not we can also use gas stove for grill,

But it recommended by me to use tandoor or charcoal barbeque

Because it gives the Chicken a charcoal smoky flavour which is an important part of flavours of Tikka,

After grilling the Chicken uniformly from both side in the tandoor

The Chicken Tikka is ready for the next step where we will prepare the Chicken Tikka Masala with this Chicken Tikkas.

Preparation Of Chicken Tikka Masala

Lit the fire on the gas stove and take a pan and let it heat

Now pour some white oil into it and one bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, black cardamom, cumin and cloves and Sautee it

This leave the flavours of the spice into the oil so that the whole dish have an uniform flavour of spices

After minute or half add finely Chopped onions into the pan and toss it when the onions adding onions first helps the oil to absorb the flavours of onions,

After the starts turning golden brown add some ginger garlic paste and cook it for a minute

When the aroma starts coming add finely chopped tomatoes and cook it until the tomatoes becomes soft and pulpy

Now add coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt and cook it for a few minutes

After that add cashew nuts and melon seed paste and cook it when oil starts oozing out it an indication that it is cooked well

Now cut the Chicken Tikka into small pieces and add it to pan and little bit of water it will help the Chicken to be more tender and absorb the flavours of the gravy

Now cut onions, capsicum and tomatoes removes the onions form scale one by one and add it to pan

The onions are added first because capsicums and tomatoes cooks faster than onions

After a minute add cubes of tomatoes and capsicums mixed it well

Now add some coriander leaves, cream and lemon juice into it if someone likes more spicy he/she can add garam masala to it it is totally optional,

Cook it for a couple of minutes and now it is ready to be served with it’s mesmerizing flavours mouth-watering everyone.

4. Nutritional Value

100g of Chicken Tikka Masala have almost 150 to 180 calories depending upon the style of cooking

It contains almost 8g of fats it could be more or less depending upon the usage of oil and cream

4g of carbohydrates and

15g to 25g of protein

Ut also contains a little bit of cholesterol it has the micronutrients such as potassium, sodium and many others vitamins and minerals.

If you love reading this recipe you can also read the recipes of Butter Chicken and Laal Maans.

5. Crazy Facts About Chicken Tikka Masala

There is a greater fight between England and us India they said that the dish theirs dish and we say that no it is our dish as the origin of the dish is still in mystery. The people of England are always crazy about Chicken Tikka Masala we can expect the dish anywhere in England,

It gets beyond all the limit when In July 2009 Mohammad Sarwar Tabled a British Member of Parliament at that time in an Early Day Morning in the House Of Commons

Give the proposal to the Parliament to support a campaign for Glasgow to be given European Union Protected Geographical Status for only the dish Chicken Tikka Masala,

This proposal shows the interest of an individual not the interest of a country as whole these type of proposal always seems useless in Parliament anywhere in the world

That’s the result the motion of Chicken Tikka Masala is not Chosen as a matter of debate in the Parliament,

Nor Mohammad Sarwar Tabled speak on this subject in the Parliament if the matter is discussed it will hilarious for the Parliament serving the interest of Nation.

6. FAQ

Aishik Chatterjee

Hello I am Aishik I am a student and just completed my Schooling from ST. Xavier’s Institution and now studying Human Development Honours in Acharya Prafulla Chandra College. I am also a Food love to eat and cook both and now sharing my experience with you.