Chicken marinated in lemon, ginger and warm spices, seared until it catches a little char, then simmered in a smooth, deep orange sauce of tomato, onion and coconut milk. Everything you want from the takeout curry, ladled over a generous bowl of cauliflower rice.
- Time
- 70 min (35 prep + 35 cook)
- Servings
- 4
- Per serving
- 530 kcal
- Protein
- 47 g
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast, cut in 3 cm (1 1/4-inch) pieces
Marinade
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp ginger, grated, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 4 tsp garam masala, divided
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika, divided
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 cup plus 1 tbsp coconut milk, full-fat, divided
- 1 1/2 tbsp ghee, divided
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 can (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water
To serve
- 6 cups cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- a pinch salt
- a large handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Steps
- Mix the lemon juice, half the ginger, half the garlic, half the garam masala, the cumin, half the paprika, the turmeric, half the salt and 1/4 cup of the coconut milk in a bowl. Stir in the chicken and leave for at least 20 minutes while you chop the onion and measure the rest.
- Heat half the ghee in a large deep skillet over high heat. Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip back, and sear it in two batches for 3–4 minutes each, without moving it much, so it catches and chars at the edges. It does not need to be cooked through yet. Lift onto a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the rest of the ghee and cook the onion for 6–8 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the remaining ginger, garlic, garam masala and paprika with the tomato paste, coriander, cardamom and chili flakes, if using, for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, water, the remaining salt and any marinade left in the bowl. Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend with a stick blender, right in the pan, until smooth.
- Stir in the remaining coconut milk. Return the chicken and its juices and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the chicken is 165°F inside and the sauce is thick.
- Meanwhile, cook the cauliflower rice with the pinch of salt in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, for 5–6 minutes, uncovered, until hot and the steam has gone. Spoon the curry over it and scatter with cilantro. It keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes 3 months without the cauliflower rice; reheat gently.
Good to know
Can I marinate it longer?
Yes, and it is better for it. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours; the lemon tenderizes more with time, so do not go much past that.
How is this different from butter chicken?
Tikka masala starts with charred, well-spiced chicken and leans on tomato, cumin and coriander. Butter chicken is milder, creamier and tastes of ghee and fenugreek. They are cousins, and both are welcome at the table.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 103
- Protein
- (35%)
- 9 g
- Fat
- (46%)
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- (18%)
- 6 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 196 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2119 kcal goes into the pot and 2391 g of ingredients comes out as about 2061 g of food: 103 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.