Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Chicken tikka masala
Britain’s favourite curry: grilled chicken tikka in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce, a little bolder and less sweet than butter chicken. It is usually said to come from a British Indian restaurant in the 1960s or 70s, most often credited to Glasgow, though the claim is disputed.
Same steps, different flavour base MediumToo hot for you? Use half the chilli (powder, paste or fresh chillies) and leave out the green chillies.
Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.
This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Chicken tikka masala. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.
Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Chicken tikka masala
See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map
The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.
Main ingredient: 600 g Boneless chicken marinated in curd, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and garam masala, then grilled or seared until charred at the edges (the “tikka”).
Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.
Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisCut two onions finely, and the chillies.
Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisFry in oil for around 4 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste (non-veg step A).
Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisUse the chicken tikka (already grilled or seared).
Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisAdd the chopped tomatoes first and cook them down for 5–8 minutes; the chicken goes in at step 7.
Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisAdd chilli powder and turmeric, plus ground cumin and coriander and garam masala (step C).
Base step: do not useKeep frying until just before they start browning.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisFry until the masala smells toasted and the oil separates.
Base step: do not useAdd some water.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisAdd a little water and the chicken tikka.
Base step: do not useAdd salt.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisAdd salt.
Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.
Chicken tikka masala: do thisSimmer for 5–10 minutes, then stir in the cream and scatter coriander leaves.
Serve: With pilau rice or naan.
For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.
This page is not in that language yet. More languages are coming soon.
This page is available in:
English · Deutsch · 日本語 · Español · हिन्दी · ગુજરાતી · Bahasa Melayu · Türkçe · 简体中文 · 繁體中文（香港） · اردو · العربية
More languages are coming soon.