Rick Stein Chicken Tikka Masala
Discover Rick Stein chicken tikka masala with chapatis inspired by Leicester's Indian culinary heritage. A flavorful journey awaits!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Frying pan or skillet
- Grill pan or barbecue (optional)
- Pestle and mortar or spice grinder
- Rolling Pin
- Heavy-based frying pan or griddle
- Saucepan
- Oven (for reheating pilau rice)
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 750 g skinless boneless chicken breast (26.5oz)
- 12 seeds green cardamom pods crushed
- 1 tsp freshly toasted cumin seeds ground
- 1 large lemon juice
- 2 tsp mild paprika
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 150 ml plain yoghurt (⅗ cup)
- 25 g peeled ginger (0.9oz) grated
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and grated
- 25 g ghee/clarified butter (0.9oz)
For the Sauce:
- 3 tbsp ghee/clarified butter/vegetable oil (60g / 2.1oz)
- 1 large onion finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and grated
- 25 g ginger (0.9oz) peeled and grated
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander seeds or ground coriander fresh toasted and ground
- 1 tsp cumin seeds freshly toasted and ground
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp mild paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 225 g chopped tomatoes (7.9 oz) tinned or fresh
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp ground almonds
- 1 tsp sugar
- 120 ml double cream (½ cup)
- 3 green chillies slit open
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- Small handful coriander leaves roughly chopped
For the Chapatis:
- 250 g 250g chapati flour, or half wholemeal, half plain white flour, plus extra for dusting (8.8oz)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp melted ghee butter, or vegetable oil, plus extra for brushing
- 120 ml warm water 1¼ cup warm water
For the Pilau Rice:
- 315 g basmati rice (11.1oz)
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves
- 3 cm piece of cinnamon stick (1.2inch)
- 1 green cardamom pod crushed
- ¼ tsp salt
- 350 ml warm water (1½ cups)
Instructions
Make the Marinade
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then grind them along with the coriander seeds using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- Cut the chicken breast into 3-4cm chunks and place them in a bowl.
- Add the toasted ground cumin and coriander seeds, lemon juice, paprika, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, salt, plain yoghurt, grated ginger, and grated garlic to the bowl with the chicken.
- Thoroughly mix the ingredients until the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade.
- Set the chicken aside to marinate for about half an hour.
Make the sauce
- Heat ghee or vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the finely sliced onion and cook until soft and golden brown.
- Add grated garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in freshly ground coriander seeds, freshly toasted and ground cumin seeds, Kashmiri chilli, garam masala, mild paprika, and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, ground almonds, and salt to the pan. Pour in 300ml of water and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, allowing it to thicken slightly.
Grill the chicken
- Preheat the grill or barbecue to high heat. Line the grill pan with foil or grease it lightly.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and brush them with melted ghee or clarified butter.
- Grill the chicken pieces under the preheated grill or on the barbecue for 5-6 minutes on each side, until lightly charred and cooked through.
- Once cooked, transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and set them aside.
Complete the sauce
- Add any remaining marinade from the chicken bowl to the pan. Stir in sugar, double cream, and slit green chillies.
- Simmer the sauce gently for another 10 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Add the grilled chicken pieces to the sauce and cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Remove from heat.
Make the chapatis
- In a mixing bowl, combine chapati flour (or a mixture of wholemeal and plain white flour) with salt.
- Add melted ghee, butter, or vegetable oil to the flour mixture, along with warm water. Mix to form a soft dough.
- Knead the dough in the bowl for a minute or two, then cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then roll out into circles about 13cm in diameter.
- Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Cook each chapati for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and puffed up.
Make the pilau rice
- Wash basmati rice under cold water and soak for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a saucepan and fry cloves, cinnamon stick, and crushed cardamom for 30 seconds.
- Drain soaked rice and add it to the pan with salt.
- Add water, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 10-12 minutes until water is absorbed.
- Fluff rice with a fork and serve.