Shan Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala is a creamy, thick curry cooked with marinated boneless chicken and a ton of delicious spices. This dish is great to have with some naan or paratha.

For our chicken tikka masala, we have used Shan Chicken Tikka Seasoning Mix, provided to us by one of our partners, Sosun Fihaara. This is the perfect seasoning to use for this recipe as it has very rich flavours and a delicious aroma, just like the authentic Indian chicken tikka masala. This seasoning mix can also be used as a base for several other chicken recipes.

Serving size: 5-6

Ingredients:

For the chicken marinade

• 500g largely chopped chicken breast
• 2 ½ tbsp Shan Chicken Tikka Seasoning Mix
• 1 ½ tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp oil

For the chicken tikka masala

• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 tbsp Shan Chicken Tikka Seasoning Mix
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¾ cup cooking cream
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ tbsp lemon juice

For the garnish

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp cooking cream

Instructions:

1. First, prepare the chicken to marinate. For this, add 500g largely chopped chicken breast to a large bowl, along with 2 ½ tbsp Shan Chicken Tikka Seasoning Mix, 1 ½ tbsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ cup plain yoghurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, and ¼ tsp salt.
2. Mix everything together until the spices and yoghurt fully coat all the pieces of the chicken. Then, add 3 tbsp oil and mix again. Cover with cling wrap and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight for best results.
3. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.
4. Next, thread around 4-5 pieces of the marinated chicken pieces onto skewers (if you are using wooden skewers, soak them for about 20 minutes in water before threading, to prevent burning in the oven).
5. Once the oven is heated, place the skewers on the middle grill rack for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. You can keep another tray at the bottom rack to prevent chicken juices from dripping into the oven.
6. When the chicken is fully cooked – lightly crispy and brown on the outside and white on the inside – take them out of the oven. Remove the chicken pieces from the skewers, transfer them to a bowl and set aside.
7. Now, prepare the curry sauce for the chicken. For this, heat up 1 tbsp oil in a pot for around 30 seconds on high heat. Then, add in ½ cup finely chopped onions and sauté for 1 minute or until it starts to get translucent.
8. After that, add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste and mix well for around 30 seconds, before adding in 1 tbsp Shan Chicken Tikka Seasoning Mix, 1 tbsp chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder and ½ tsp ground cumin. Mix well again and continue cooking for 1 minute.
9. Now, reduce the heat to low and add ½ cup tomato puree, mixing with the spices. Let it simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the flavour into the sauce. Then, add 3 tbsp unsalted butter and stir for 1-2 minutes or until the butter fully melts into the sauce.
10. Bring the heat back to high and add ¾ cup cooking cream, the baked chicken pieces, 2 tsp sugar, and ½ tbsp lemon juice. Mix well and cook for another 3 minutes. At this point, the sauce will be a thicker, bright reddish-orange colour.
11. Once cooked, drizzle 1 tbsp cooking cream on top of the curry, then garnish with 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves. Shan chicken tikka masala is best served with Indian flatbreads like paratha or naan.