Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is a dish of marinated paneer chunks  in a creamy, spice-infused tomato gravy. A delightful chicken delicacy.

Ingredients:

Marination:

2 lb boneless chicken breast meat cut into peices
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Red chili powder or as per taste
1 tablespoon Ginger-garlic paste
1 tablespoon thick yougurt preferably hung yogurt (to make thick yogurt, tie the yogurt in a muslin cloth and let it hand for 3-4 hours.)
1 tablespoon. oil

Gravy:

• 1  tbsp. Butter
• 1  tbsp. Oil
• 1/2  tsp. Cumin Seeds
• 1/4 tsp. Green Cardamom seeds
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (dahi)
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Red Chili powder  or to taste
• 1/4 tsp. Garam masala
• 1/4 tsp. Kasoori Methi
• 1/4 tsp. Degi Mirch
• 1/4 tsp. Tumeric powder
• 1/2 Cup. heavy cream or half and half

Preperation :

In a bowl add  ginger-garlic paste, oil, yogurt, salt and red chilli powder and mix well. Add  the paneer pieces and mix well until they are well coated with the spices and yogurt. Cover and keep this marinated chicken in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes.
• While the chicken pieces are in the refrigerator, we will prepare the gravy for the chicken tikka. Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of oil in a pan.
  Once hot add cardamom and cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add the chopped onions. Fry untill onions turn golden brown in color. Add chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes until the chicken turns white
• Now add tomatoes, kasoori methi,a pinch of salt and cook until tomatoes are soft.
• Add nicely stirred yogurt to it and off  the stove and keep it aside to cool.
• Once the mixture cools down blend it to a puree by adding 1/2 cup of water.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the blended puree.
• Add salt, sugar, tumeric powder, Degi Mirch powder, red chilli podwer and saute until it leaves oil.
• Now add cream and stir untill it leaves oil.
• Add 1/2 cup water, lower the flame, cover and let the gravy cook for 5 - 7 minutes, keep stirring in between.
• Meanwhile, take out the marinated paneer cubes. Heat little oil in a pan and add the paneer and saute until light golden brown in color.
• Now add the Paneer to the gravy and let it cook for 5 minutes. If the consistency of gravy is too thick add water to get desired consistency. Finisg by adding Garam masala.