Chicken Tikka Masala with Curry Rice

Originally published on August 27, 2014

Chicken Tikka Masala is a bit more challenging recipe to try the first time around, especially if you’ve never tried Indian cooking, however don’t let that intimidate you! It gets easier every time you make it and the flavors are so intoxicating… it’s worth every bit of work (if you can even call it ‘work’. It’s really fun to make!). This is now a regular recipe in our household.  I make it several times a month.

Here is how I came across this recipe: Around 2009-ish I was in the mood for Indian cooking but had no idea where to start or what recipe to even try.  I made my way around YouTube and found Sanjay Thumma the VahChef and fell in love!  He’s a wonderful chef and hysterical.  You can tell he is passionate about his food.  I also thought his videos were easy to follow.  I set about gathering my ingredients, most of which I already had on hand.

A few tips to remember:

• Always use full fat Greek yogurt for your marination; the less liquid the better.  Thinner yogurts tend to curdle and look yucky.  If you have yogurt that isn’t quite as thick you can always strain it through a cheesecloth or coffee filter for an hour or two.
• Fenugreek powder was a bit harder for me to find.  We have a local Mediterranean store that is a great place for hard-to-find ingredients.  Online stores are a great option as well.
• For those of you who don’t want a lot of heat, remove the seeds and veins from peppers.
• I always keep the chicken marination separate from the veggie marination.  I prefer my onions & peppers a little crispy so I cook the chicken first, then add the veggie mixture later so they can cook without getting soggy.
• You can marinate the chicken in the yogurt mixture overnight for even more flavor.
• It’s perfectly fine to omit nuts for anyone with allergies.  I never use cashews for this recipe and the flavor is still outstanding.

Chicken Tikka Masala by The VahChef

I’ll let Sanjay break it down for you since he is the master!

I decided to include rice with my tikka masala.  My favorite rices are Basmati and Jasmine, which are both long-cook rices.  I always add in a 1/4 tsp. of curry powder, a dash of olive oil and a few pinches of salt to the water before covering and cooking the rice.  It turns out perfect every time!

Sanjay is so great!  He’s definitely up there with Julia, Jacques, Rachael, Clara and Jolene on my list of favorites!  He really encourages others to share their cooking and I totally adore him.  His website is full of amazing recipes.

The Vah Chef’s website:
http://www.vahrehvah.com