Valentines day was an alien concept for me growing up in India. I did not hear about it until I got into college (around 11th or 12th grade). Around that time Hallmark made it presence felt, unavoidably so. Giving someone a Valentines card pretty much meant asking them to be your life partner!! There was not much latitude in its meaning. And of course parents would never be happy to find out that their son or daughter gave or received a card. That is, if they even knew about the specialty of Feb 14. Yup, you got it, there was not much dating back then given the prevalence of arranged-marriages. Choosing your
spouse on your own was frowned upon, which is largely true even today. Of course things have changed quite a bit in the last decade, for better in some cases and for worse in the other.
I don’t have any noteworthy memories of Valentines day other than watching and enjoying some girls giggling silly at the boys they secretly hoped would give them a card and get instant heroine status. My special day is around the Valentines day when I knew who my husband was going to be. It would suffice to say that it had been an eventful adventure for both of us to achieve the status of a married couple. And to mark our special day, I made this Chicken Tikka Masala that we both love.
Tikka Masala is a flavorful silky sauce with cream and tomatoes. Not too hot, but rich and creamy. What was remarkable was that it was much easier to make than I thought. And some gross pantry insufficiencies lead to wonderful discoveries in substitutions–which I now call essential ingredients!! The secret was that I used roasted red bell peppers from a jar when I realized I had no tomatoes. The recipe calls for some tomato ketchup (I know I know, but trust me) which gave just enough hint of tomatoes without losing the taste reminiscent of a typical Tikka Masala. And the red pepper blended with onion and cashews and simmered in a splash of cream yielded the most gorgeous looking, silkiest sauce ever. I am now out of superlatives…so here I present.
What you need:
For the marinade:
1 lb Chicken, cut into cubes
1 cup Yogurt
1 tbsp Cumin powder
1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
3 cloves Garlic, 1/2 inch Ginger–made into a paste or grated
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
For the sauce:
1 medium sized Onion, cubed
1/2 roasted Red Bell Pepper (about 1/2 cup when pureed)
6 Cashews
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
3 Cloves, 1/2 inch Cinnamon, 2 Cardamom pods–ground into fine powder
1 tbsp Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek leaves, found in Indian grocery stores)
1/4 cup Cream
2 tbsp Tomato ketchup
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 tsp of Chilli powder, or to taste
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish
How to make it:
- Marinade the chicken with all the ingredients for marination for about 20-30 minutes
- Grill or pan roast the marinated chicken and set aside
- In the mean time, roast the onions in the pan with a few drops of oil unil lighlty browned.
- Add the red bell peppers and cashew and toss them around for a couple of minutes. Take if off the stove and cool until ready to handle
- Blend the mixture into a fine puree. Add a few tablespoons of water if necessary.
- Heat a pan (you can use the same pan used for roasting) with a tablespoon of oil and a table spoon of butter.
- When the butter just melts, add all the powders (clove, cinnamon, cardamom powder, cumin and coriander) and saute until their aroma wafts around.
- Add the red bell pepper, onion and cashew puree and gently saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chilli powder and salt and the tomato ketchup. Mix well and add the cream.
- Crush kasoori methi in your hands before adding to the mix and cook for 2 minutes.
- Now add the grilled chicken pieces and toss to coat well in the sauce.
- Check taste and adjust salt or chilli powder as desired.
- If you want a thinner consistency add a few more tablespoons of water and a sparing splash of cream. Gently simmer for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with Naans (Indian bread) or Basmati rice.
Can't live without... 
Oh, how I love Chicken Tikka Masala. And such beautiful photos!
Thanks, Michelle. You should definitely try it.
I almost feel like a sore thumb saying this, but to me, Valentine’s day was just another Tuesday. I mean, you have the WHOLE year to show the people that you love that you love them. And Hallmark did kind of kill it.
This chicken masala looks so yummy! A breath of fresh air from all those heart shaped cookies.
Kyleen, so true. I’d rather prefer my husband bring me flowers on a random day… or nothing at all on Valentines!!
That chicken tikka masla is lookign really good!
Thanks Kevin, I am honored hearing from you. I have always admired your blog and the new spins you put on food…making them exquisite!
Oh my gosh, just the other day I was searching around the internet for a chicken tikka masala recipe. I’d just had it at my favorite Indian restaurant in san francisco and was trying to find something that looked vaguely similar to what I’d had there. The recipes from all the big websites didn’t look right at all, but yours looks absolutely spot on! I’m so excited to have found this recipe, I’m going to try it this week.
Caroline, you will not be disappointed! Would love to know how liked it.
I am totally addicted to Chicken Tikka Masala. I will have to try out this version!
I am sure you’ll love it. Let me know how it turns out!
Wow that tikka masala and that naan looks so awesome!
Thanks, I hope you try it soon!
I am so happy I found your blog. This chicken tikka masala looks gorgeous, and your sauce does look absolutely silky, s you describe it. It’s been one of those ‘I’ll get around to making it’ dishes, but I think I’ll get around to making this very soon. You have a wonderful gift at making the complex seem very doable.
I am glad that I found your blog ! The most popular combo in Indian cuisine,looks wonderful ! Your naan look so perfect 🙂 Looking forward to more great posts from you
I can so much relate myself to your valentine day memories 😀
🙂 Namitha, thanks!! BTW, stopped by yours and could not move past Avial!! I will be back!
YUM……OH
thanks! hope you will try it!
I have been searching for a good chicken tikka masala recipe for awhile…most recipes seem to confuse it with butter chicken. Yours seems more like what I have eaten in Indian Restaurants. Looking forward to giving it a try!
Thanks Asiya! Do let me know how it turns out. BTW….love your blog title. My fav combo!
Reblogged this on kitchenunwired.
Looks sooooo nummy. I looove food like this. Wish that I could make my own Naan.
thanks!..out of all Indian flat breads, I lovemaking naans as they can be shapeless…and sort of expected to be shapeless:)
It is sooo good. When my friend and I have Indian food, I think we enjoy the naan above all else.
Here is a delicious Naan recipe I have used many times! http://www.budgetbytes.com/2010/09/naan/
My husband and I are big fans of Indian food, and have even spent a few weeks in India. This was the first and only successful Indian dish we’ve ever made at home. We made it for the first time last night, and it was AMAZING! Thanks so much for sharing!! We’re wondering if you have recipes for Chicken Vindaloo, Daal, and Chicken Makhani as well. Please let me know…
Lori, I am truly honored. And yes, I would love to share all the recipes you’ve mentioned….and especially Chicken Makhani. Will post it soon, please stay tuned!
Hi,
I am making this greqt looking recipe & was wondering what the trick is to get the cloves, cinnamon & cardamom pods ground into a fine powder? I tried putting these in a small blender, but it didn’t work very well. Now I am chopping it up really fine with a large butcher knive.
Thanks!
Ron
Hi Ron, I use a coffee grinder to grind any dry spices ( I keep one just for this). Mortar and pestle work equally well and that is what is traditionally used, and best for small quantities. Good luck, do let me know how it goes!
I did find an old coffee grinder to use which worked great. I made this last night & it was delicious. My wife & I both loved it. This was the first Indian recipe I have made. Do you have any others that you would recommend?
Thanks!
Ron
Ron, I am so glad it turned out well!! Yes, I have a trove of Indian recipes coming up soon on this site. Stay tuned.
Hi…..just came across your recipe…looks fabulous!!!!! You can put a slice of white bread
in your coffee grinder and grind it to get all the remnants, smell and flavor of your spices out. Then you can use one coffee grinder for spices, coffee beans, and nut mixtures! Take care…..glad I stumbled upon this!! :))
Laadli, I will have to try that!! Thanks for the tip.
This looks so beautiful! I’m excited to try it. I have one question – Do you leave the skin on the pepper when you puree it? Thank you!
No, I leave the skin off. The gravy turns out much smoother if the skin is off. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Well it took 2 hours and every pot in the house, but it is delicious! This was my first try at making Indian food, I made half with eggplant since I’m vegetarian and half with chicken sincey my man friend is not, I also added a healthy amount of cayenne for some spice. I’m very happy with it. But, unfortunately because of the time and involvement it might be a little while till I make it again.
Jess, I am so glad you like it. And I love the idea of Eggplant Tikka Masala..good veggie alternative to the regular Paneer tikka masala. Maybe you could make double batch of the gravy and freeze it? I think it would be fine frozen up to 4 weeks….and all you need to do is thaw and add the vegetable or meat.
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This looks sooooo delicious. Question….my partner is allergic to onions and bell peppers, would it change the recipe too drastically if I left them out? Or do you have any recommendations for an alternative to those two ingredients?
Robyn, onions in this add to the texture of the gravy and impart a slight sweetness. Since they are cooked so long they don’t retain the onion-y flavor–so I think you can substitute finely blended cashews for onions without deviating too much from the taste. And cashews are slightly sweet anyway. 1/4 cup cashew puree should work in place of the onion. The gravy may look paler, so add a tbsp of tomato paste if you want intense color. Good luck and do let me know how it turns out!!
do you have a recipe for naan?
Palmtreejen, I do!! Just posted that. Check it out and let me know what you think 🙂
Are you using boneless chicken, chicken tender or with bones? Please specify
Pinal, for Chicken Tikka masala, I use boneless breast tenders or boneless breasts. In fact, I think bone-in chicken does not suit well for this (or Butter Chicken).
This looks amazing. Could you steer me towards a recipe for naan bread as well to go with please?
Kasha, your timing is perfect. I made Naans the other day…and just posted it. Do check it out.
Looks yummy! I’ll have to try it. Found it on Pinterest!
Thanks, Sally. Do let me know how you liked it.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I spent a week in India in February and I was specifically told by friends not to leave without eating Chicken Tandoori and Tikka Masala. My first tasting was in a restaurant at the ITC Maurya in New Delhi (where we were billeted), and I was hooked. I was so pumped that they served tandoori and tikka masala all the time throughout my 1-week stay (ending in Bangalore), I positively gorged on it! Now that I’m home, I’ve been craving for these dishes. We don’t have Indian restaurants in our city here (Dumaguete, Philippines). I’ll definitely try to cook this. What would you recommend as an alternative to Kasoori Methi? There’s no Indian grocery in town. Thanks!
Rachelle, glad to know your food expedition in India was concentrated on these two–my top choices too!!…and I am happy that you want to try. There is no substitute for Kasoori Methi. Perhaps you can try getting it online? Or give it a try without Kasoori Methi, and see how you like it. Let me know how it turns out.
Reblogged this on chellelandia and commented:
I’m so glad I stumbled on this blog via Pinterest. I’ve been seriously craving for Tikka Masala ever since I got back from India. I’ll definitely try this out next weekend.
Hi Rachelle, let me know how it turned out!
I’m so glad I came across this recipe! It was SOOOO delicious! It really tasted like the kind you get in the Indian Restaurants! Def will be trying out the curry with other items!
Thanks, Kalindi. Glad you liked it!
My husband and I love indian food and Masala is one of our faves so when I came across this I had to make it! … OMG it’s fantastic!!! What a great recipe! Thank you so much for sharing! Next time I’ll try it with some homemade naan.
Chels, I am so glad you liked it!! I have some more tried and tested Indian recipes coming in the pipeline. Keep checking. I hope they will inspire you to try them all.
Hi!!!….I tried this yummy recipe today….it turned out way better than I thought, and it was very easy to follow and make! I made it with boiled white rice with turmeric powder to make it yellow (the kids LOVE that) and dried dill. The only change to the recipe I would make is using the skim version of evaporated milk….I think it’s 2% instead of the cream. It taste great as is, but I think by using the evaporated milk I’ll get the right consistency and because it’s lighter, I can have dessert!! 😉 Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes and keep up the yummy work!!
Laadli, thats a fabulous swap! I don’t use much evaporated milk, except in some desserts. Wonder why I never thought of it before. Thanks for the idea!! And I am so glad you liked it.
Just cooked this for dinner – brilliant! 🙂
Ella…you’ve made my day!!!
This look absolutely delicious can’t wait to try making it! Do you have a recipe for Palak paneer?
Mmmm….looks delicious and such lovely photography! Keep it up!
Thanks for posting this! My husband is from India, so I think he would be impressed if I made this for him. Thanks again!
I just had to tell you how FABULOUS this recipe is!! I’ve made Tikka Masala a dozen times a dozen different ways looking for the “perfect recipe” and I have finally found it!! And the best part…my 5 year old absolutely loved it!! He had two helpings and while stuffing his face with the second asked if I could make it again really soon because it was sooooo yummy!! Thank you for sharing!!
Made this tonight and it was awesome. Not even as messy and time consuming as I thought. I did try to make it a bit healthier my using tomato paste instead of ketchup and milk instead of cream. I’m sure the proper version tastes better but it was still amazing with less calories. Thanks for giving me acreadon to increase my spice inventory!
I’m making this
I made this last night for dinner and it was fabulous! My husband and I loved it:) We served it with your naan recipe as well. Definitely a winner in our house!
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
This looks absolutely amazing. I have always wanted to make this dish as it is my absolute favourite Indian dish. I do have one question: is the Kasoori Methi necessary? I ask only because I will probably be making it soon and there is no Indian specialty store anywhere near to me so it would be too hard to find. Thank you so much!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! You don’t, by any chance, have a recipe for the mint sauce that is so often served with Indian food, do you? I’d LOVE to have one if you wouldn’t mind sharing. Thanks!
This looks delicious!…I’m going to try to make it this weekend..wish me luck..thanks for sharing.
Would it make a difference if I left out the Kasoori Menthi? I live in a smaller town and it’s nearly impossible to find. Or is there a substitute? Thanks!
I saw this on pinterest and I am soo happy I found this…my kids love eating chicken tikka masala from the restaurant, but when I tried to recreate it…it is missing something…the ingredients you use make sense, and I am so excited to try this. Thank you for sharing…
I can’t wait to try this. It look delicious.
Just made this for my husband and it was INCREDIBLE! The only change I made was by adding a touch of fresh lemon juice at the end. I can’t thank you enough for such a wonderful recipe.
Lovely photos. They’re making me really hungry! 😉
This looks great, especially for chilly fall evenings. Thanks for sharing!
I am making this ASAP. Looks so yummy
Made this tonight. It was amazing! Thanks so much for this awesome (and surprisingly easy!) recipe!
Just made this after trying several tikka masala recipes and this if the first one that ACTUALLY tastes like tikka masala! You can’t imagine how psyched I am. Thank you!!
Made this today. Had to make a special trip to the Indian Grocery store for a couple spices since I couldn’t find anywhere. It was a ton of work (I made Naan as well) but so worth it. ABSOLUTELY DELISH. This is my husbands favorite dish! Two thumps up!! THANK YOU!
Would this recipe work in the slow cooker as well?
Andreea, please see one of the reader’s comments above. Apparently it turned out very well in slow cooker. I am yet to try it.
This was amazing!!!! I made it a couple weeks ago and my family has been begging me to make it again. Nice thing about it is that I can make a giant batch of the sauce pretty easily. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!
Thanks. Glad you all like it.
You have succeeded in making me crazy hungry for this right now, and it’s bedtime here! I hope I have all the ingredients because I’ve got to make this tomorrow!
Any chance you have a recipe for the naan bread?
Just saw the recipe for naan…thanks 🙂
Just tried this tonight. I had all of the spices except Fenugreek in the cupboard, but I added a dash of ground mustard and garam masala instead. The final result was awesome! The whole process took about 45 minutes (including marinating time) and I only used one pan. Thank you for the fabulous recipe!
SO glad you like it. Ground mustard sounds interesting. I will try that!
Oh my gosh, this is good! I didn’t have roasted peppers so I used fire roasted tomatoes and i broiled the chicken and it turned out amazing! My Indian husband agreed which I always find to be good testament to authenticity. I will definitely make this again – maybe for my mother-in-law!
Glad your family liked it. Let me know if it is MIL approved!!
Just made this today! Spectacular! I made it with chicken, but saw a comment suggesting eggplant. Now I must try that as well.
Thanks. And yes, eggplant would be a great veggie alternative.
This was beautiful and usually I’m not a fan of Indian. I’m going to share this on my blog tomorrow as I lightened it up just a little but honestly it was delicious
Thanks!!
I have made this recipe twice for my boyfriend and I… his favorite meal is chicken tikka masala and he licked the plate clean with this recipe!!! Thank you so much for sharing, more red peppers are on my shopping list!
Really glad you liked it!
This looks delicious! I’m just wondering how many this might serve (with a reasonable to conservative serving size)?
Thank you! This would easily serve 5-6 people.
This recipe looks legit. I will be trying it. 🙂 Also, I did a search on your blog for coconut korma, but didn’t pull anything up. Do you have a recipe for that? I’ve made recipes in the past, but none of them compare. Perhaps I’m just spelling it wrong? Thanks.
Bekah, I don’t yet have any korma recipes here. I have a bunch that are being tweaked… but still not ready for prime time. But please stay tuned.
My husband and I prepared this meal together for tonight’s dinner. We both really liked the taste and so did our 4yr old. I felt that it was a little dry, I wish it was more saucy’er. Any suggestions on that? Now that I have some new spices I think I might try more Indian recipes.
Erin, Sorry for the late reply. If you want it saucier, you can simply add 2 tbsps more of cream and 2-4 tbsps of water without having to adjust other seasonings. Hope you will like it.
MMMM been looking for a tikka masala recipe to impress my Indian bf with and this looks like it’s PERFECTION. I will make it this weekend and let you know how it goes 🙂 …
Linet, please let me know how you liked it!
This looks awesome! Can regular tomato sauce be substituted for the roasted red pepper and ketchup?
Nazia, do you mean tomato paste? If yes, you can surely use it. Also home made tomato puree (boiled, peeled tomatoes deseeded and pureed) works just as well. Do not skip the ketchup…it lends that distinct restaurant flavor.
if you use tomato paste how much would i use and do i still put cashews?
You can use about 2 tbsp of tomato paste. To make up the volume add 2 tbsps to 1/4 cup of water…or per the consistency you desire.
Cashews are essential! Let me know how it turned out!!
I just have to say OMG!!!! I just made this and this is really restaurant style tikka masala!!!!! Hands down this is the best tikka masala that I have made and I’m an Indian and saying this!!!!!! Finally someone that can explain how to make this recipe!!!!! Thank you so much! This will be made all the time at my house for all my friends who can’t take the heat of Indian food!!!!!!!
Jigna, thanks!! You’ve made my day 🙂
This is my son’s FAVORITE recipe! We have made it over and over and over again! Thank you for sharing!!! 🙂
Erin, I am so glad you liked it!!
Would I be able to use Greek yogurt in the marinade? I’ve found that’s all that is in my fridge and I’d much rather use what I have on hand than be wasteful. Any input you might be able to give me on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Absolutely, Anabelle. I have used Greek yogurt in other dishes that called for regular yogurt with no problem. So I see why not in this one. Good luck!
Gorgeous tikka masala and your bread looks homemade!
wonderful recipe & mouth watering pic’s – thanks a lot!!
Found this on Pinterest & gave it a try tonight. Wow!!! I am not super kitchen skilled, but this was so easy. Not being familiar with much Indian cooking, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turned out exactly how I’ve had it at our local restaurants. Made some naan to go with & it was a meal worthy of our favorite take-out spots. Are you on twitter or pinterest? I’d love to see what new things you post. Thanks!!
Courtney, I am so glad you liked it. I am still finding my way through the social media…I am quite a laggard:) Hope to get set up soon.
Three quick questions before I attempt to make this Saturday: What is a half-inch of cinnamonm, exactly? What kind of onion do you recommend (yellow, white, sweet, red)? And, as it says roasted red bell pepper, I’m assuming you roasted it yourself. Any tips on a good method of doing that? This looks amazing, by the way! So, I want to get it right. Thanks! I think V-Day sucks, too!
Christopher, half-inch cinnamon meant roughly half-inch of the cinnamon stick (the one that looks like a ‘roll’ of bark). A bit more or less will not alter anything–so go ahead. I usually use yellow onions. Any onion (except red) you may have on hand is fine. Avoid red, as it does not add the right color to this recipe.
And about roasted bell pepper, I used the ones from the jar. I had some left over from sometime ago :). If you want to do it from scratch you can find some fine techniques if you search online (oven vs gas flame vs grill).
Good luck and do let me know how it turns out!
Awesome! Yeah, someone told me you were probably referring to a stick of cinnamon, at which point I realized I’m dumb. Haha. I have what is probably an unhealthy obsession with tikka masala, so I’m looking forward to this. Thanks! Will let you know how it was.
It was great!!! Mine came out really thick, though. Either way, amazingly delicious! For me, the Kasoori Methi makes this dish! Yours is the only recipe I’ve seen that calls for it. Thank so much!
Making this tonight! Has anyone tried freezing it ? how does turn out once frozen?
Wow this tikka masala looks so wonderful! I love these. I can’t wait to try your version!
Made this tonight & I loved it! Thank you this is the best recipe 🙂
I have never had chicken tikka masala or any other type of Indian cuisine before but this looks AMAZING I can’t wait to try this! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
will be moving soon and this will be the first meal cooked in my new kitchen …. 🙂 …
I found it on Pintrest and made it immediately. It was delicious and so beautiful. One question, can I use cinnamon powder, if so how much? Thank you!
Just made this! Wow! I’ve never had it before and my husband loved it too! Thanks for a great recipe!
Fascinating blog! Is your theme custom made or did you
download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple
tweeks would really make my blog jump out.
Please let me know where you got your design. Bless you
I made your Chicken Tikka Masala recipe two nights ago. It is FABULOUS! I could eat the whole recipe in one sitting by myself! I was a little short on cumin so used what I had and subbed tomato paste for the ketchup on the advice of an Indian woman that I work with. I will be making this often, thank you for the recipe!
Really happy to hear that!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Glad to hear that, thanks!
Never had Indian food but found this on pinterest an looks yummy! I’m making this but question there anything to substitute kasoori methi for? Not sure if ill find this anywhere in oklahoma. Thanks!!!
Do try this, you will love Indian food.
Unfortunately there is no substitute for Kassori Methi. But you can find it on Amazon.com, and a little goes a long way.
My family loves Indian food, Made this for dinner yesterday and my family absolutely enjoyed it. Thanks for a great recepi.
Thanks, I am so glad you liked it.
is there anything that you can substitute the kasoori methi with? I couldn’t find it anywhere.
Sorry Racie, there is really no substitute for Kasoori Methi. If you can find an Indian grocery store near by, you will surely find it…and amazed by how inexpensive it is. You can also order it online. A little goes a long way.
Reblogged this on desertskywest and commented:
Great dish, full of flavors.
Just discovered your blog and the photography and recipes are completely gorgeous. Made this today, and because I was cooking from my pantry, had to make a few substitutions (good quality BBQ sauce for the ketchup, sour cream and whole milk for the heavy cream, no fenugreek, alas) and it is still AMAZING. Can only imagine how much better it will be with the Kasoori Methi. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Thanks for your kind words. I am all for substitutes when situation demands 🙂 I am glad yours turned out well.
don’t know how soon i can get an answer..lol..i’m making this tonight!!..i am marinating the chicken right now….when roasting after marinating..do i drain the marinade off?/..or just scoop it out with a slotted spoon and roast??….thanks..otherwise will use my own judgement..looks and sounds delish..huggz..Hail
You can just scoop the pieces. I usually don’t end up with too much marinade that would require draining. Good luck and let me know how it turns out
thx..mine is thick..i used sour cream was out of plain yogurt..we.eat.yogurt a lot..
was i supposed to marinate then cut??jeesh..48yrs. of cooking..ya’d never know eh..lolthx for your quick reply..can’t wait to try many more of your recipes..thx again..Gail
ok this was awesome and totally a make again….hmmm for some reason..tho..mine did not look like yours..lol..it was not sitting in a sauce..there was no sauce..lol..the chicken was tasty enough tho..yumm..i had Kasoori seeds but no leaves..so what i did was wrapped the seeds in triple peice of cheese cloth and simmer that wayt..not knowing what i was missing..i would ‘t know the diff. will pick up some leaves when i next in city….we had with Jasmine rice cooked in water with 1chicken (broth) cube..stuffed now ….hugzz..Gail
Gail, I am so glad you like it! Kasoori Methi leaves have a unique flavor–so unlike the seeds. Do get the leaves when you get a chance.
What kind of yogurt foes this recipe call for. It was never specified
Kassie, any yogurt is fine, as long as it is unflavored. You can use homemade yogurt or store bought ones. Greek yogurt works well too. I used organic low fat plain yogurt.
Recipe sounds great! Could u plz tell me how to roast the bell pepper?
You can roast bell pepper on a grill or on gas stove (on a low flame). Slowly turning it around on the grill/flame so that the skin is charred evenly. The whole pepper should almost become black. Them immediately cover the peppers in a ziploc bag, or a air tight bowl to seal the moisture. After 10 minutes or so, when the peppers are cool, just the rub the skin off and wash the peppers.
Have made this twice now and is a winner with everyone! Great meal
Hi Radhika! I tried out your recipe and really loved the flavours. I was just missing some vegetables, so I adapted it to my tastes and I love it! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I’ve shared my adaptation, with credit to you of course, on my blog if you’re interested. =) http://wp.me/p35HuJ-kE
Looks delicious, I do have a question,I got a bit confused by the ingredient cream. What do you mean by that?
Hager, its milk cream…the thick layer that settles on top if you refrigerate un-homogenized full fat milk. I use the regular stuff (pasteurized) that is available at most grocery stores.
Made this tonight and was fantastic! Your directions were super and easy to follow. I had to sub ground Kasoori Methi for leaves as that was all I found and it was delish. I got two thumbs up from the family!
Rita, thanks for your feedback. Happy to know that you all loved it!!
I made this tonight and I loved it!! I made naan from scratch as well, my family was so impressed 🙂 I couldn’t find the kasoori methi in any store here so I left that out. Thanks so much for the recipe, it was superb and really reminded me of the tikka masala I used to order from an Indian take-out. One question though, since the whole process was quite time consuming and I would love to make it on a weekday as well, what would your advice be if I were to cook this in a slow cooker? I can only imagine the smell that would greet me when I get home from work..would be so happy if you could help.
Ayida, Thanks! I have never tried this in slow cooker (which is collecting a lot of dust by the way!). It may not save you all that much as ingredients need blending in between. But after that point, I don’t see why you cannot use the slow cooker. Do let me know how it goes
This recipe is Amazing! Made it for the first time last year. Making it again tonight! Definitely worth the extra time to make it, rather than a brought sauce. Even going to try your naan recipe to! 🙂
LOVE this, looking forward to making it. I am a HUGE Indian food fan!!!!!
My husband is allergic to cashews . Can I use ssomething to rreplace it?
You can use almonds, without skin.
Thank you. I’m very excited to make it:)
Can I bake the bell pepper if I can’t roast it?
Sorry for the late reply. Same quantity of skinless blanched almonds are a great alternative. Make sure you make them into a smooth paste. Good luck!
I made this tonight and my Indian Food Loving household was raving!! Thank you for sharing this authentic recipe! Now I know what all of those other recipes are missing! There were even requests for a repeat for tomorrow (since there aren’t any leftovers from tonight’s dinner). Thank you again! I will be dreaming about this delicious dish!
You made my day!!!!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is incredibly good!
Do you know how many servings it makes? 🙂 It looks so tasty!!
Looking forward to trying this recipe! One question, do you personally prefer red, yellow or white onions for this dish?
Nandita, I prefer either yellow or white. Mostly I have yellow on hand. (I don’t like red onions hers as they compete with the color)
I would love to try this tomorrow. I am planning on using two lbs of chicken. Do you think this makes enough sauce and marinade or should i double all of the ingredients? Thanks!!
Jennie, I would suggest doubling the ingredients. It would make enough sauce to mop up with naans or drizzle generously on rice. I spread my leftover sauce (if any) on toasted bread and eat it right up (or if I feel fancy, I add some mozzarella and run it under the broiler just until melted)
I found this on Pinterest and had to try it. I’ve been eating Indian food for a good 15 years now and I’ve cooked just about every recipe out there and this one is a definite keeper! My fiance is always weird about the tomato based sauces so this one with the red pepper was perfect. The flavor is amazing. I did double the recipe and I’m glad I did. This is a must try for anyone who loves Indian food!!! I will be using this again 🙂
I made this recipe for dinner and it was absolutely to die for! My fiance is weird about tomato based sauces so this one is perfect with the red pepper. I will be making this again. (I had a much longer comment crying your praises but something happened, so if it shows up eventually, you can have two comments praising your recipe 🙂
I just wanted to let you know that I found this recipe (and your website) through Pinterest, I made it this weekend and it was absolutely delicious! I love Indian food but whenever I try to make it at home it’s okay but never great. This recipe tastes like the tikka masala from my favorite Indian restaurant! Great recipe:)
I’ve just made it and it’s flawless! Thank you for this amazing recipe. Greetings from Poland 🙂
I made this recipe twice so far and people now think I am a supreme Indian cook…. I had to translate it for all my friends (I live in Germany) – thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, we will enjoy this many times in the future!
Melanie, your comment made my day!! So glad you and your friends liked it!!
I’ve spent years looking for a good tikka masala recipe. This is it. Thank you. This in now my “go to” recipe.
Thank you!! This looks absolutely amazing. I’ve checking for recipes and this is the only one I’ve seen with red bell pepper and ketchup..Iam gonna try it! The pepper with or without the skin?
Also do you know how to make a onion tomato kind of dip?
Thank you!
This recipe is genuinely so delicious! I am 17 and I wanted to try my hand in cooking. So I cooked this for dinner along with hot tandoori roti’s. And guess what? My family just LOVED IT!!
And being an Indian and a hardcore foodie, I can say that this is one of the best recipes I have come across. Keep the recipes coming! Looking forward for more stuff like this. ^_^
It has taken us YEARS to find a Tikka Masala that tasted accurate and you’ve done it!! Fenugreek is the key. Thank you!
Love, love, love….. made it several times. I have become lazy and don’t even measure the spices. Seems like you can’t get this wrong. Best recipe I have found. Thank you!!
I found this recipe off Pinterest & made it tonight. One word – incredible! Like others said, it was definitely restaurant style! So so delicious! I followed your recipe to the T, but the only thing I noticed was that the sauce was just enough to coat the chicken pieces. There wasn’t as much sauce as I expected. In your photo it looks like you got a lot more sauce out of this recipe. I had a lot of the marinade leftover, which I ended up not using. But did you add the remainder marinade with the sauce or just added the chicken pieces? Trying to figure out why I didn’t get enough sauce lol. Im planning on making this again for my guests next week, but will substitute chicken with paneer as they are vegetarian! So happy to have found this. Thank you!
Khalida, you can use up the marinade. I never throw it away either. I also make this with paneer for my vegetarian friends. Try not to stir the paneer too much to leave the pieces intact.
Hi….i was searching for a recipe which my child can relish however without being pungent. U must know how we Indians love our non-veg dishes a little pungent. So m gonna give it a try however would like to know if i can substitute the red bellpepper witj something else. I don’t get red bellpeppers in my part of the suburbs. So is there any other ingredient that i can use as substitue? Lemme know. Looking forward to ur reply. Coz i realllly wanna try out this recipe for my son’s sake and also,the photos look really amazzzzzzing! Gr888 job by ur photographer.
Waiting for ur reply.
Vrishali W
Vrishali,
Thanks for the kind words!! I suggest using canned tomatoes (preferably San Marzanos if you can get them, because they are sweeter).
If not use regular tomatoes and to balance out the tartness just add a tablespoon on tomatoe ketchup.
Let me know how it turns out!!
Hi! I’m making this right now. Could you please tell me why the recipe does not call for masala? Thank you!
Hi Andrea, ‘masala’ means spice or blend of spices. The recipe calls for all spices/masala needed along with items to make a silky gravy.
If you are thinking about the masala you get in a jar in the grocery, essentially that is the ‘gravy’ in this recipe which will be infused with spices.
Let me know how this turns out!!