Tikka Masala
Whip up a delightful homemade tikka masala in just 7-8 minutes straight from your freezer! Packed with tender chicken, vibrant spices, and creamy coconut milk, this healthy curry is a go-to for satisfying your cravings any night of the week. Get ready to savor every bite of this quick and delicious meal!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🥬Fresh Produce(6)
- ¼c cilantro (60 ml)
- 3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (45 ml)
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (30 ml)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (45 ml)
- 390g onion, diced (13.8 oz)
- 1–2c water* (240 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1.8kg boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed (3.96 lbs)optional
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 3 tbsp 15% cream (45 ml)
- 365g 0% Greek yogurt (12.9 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 2 tbsp oil (30 ml)
- 2½ tsp sugar (12.5 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(14)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp coriander (15 ml)
- 2 tbsp coriander (30 ml)
- ~4” cinnamon
- 12 cloves
- 1½ tsp cumin (7.5 ml)
- 2½ tsp cumin (12.5 ml)
- 1 tbsp garam masala (15 ml)
- 1½ tbsp garam masala (22.5 ml)
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp paprika (5 ml)
- 1 tsp salt (5 ml)
- ~2 tsp salt (10 ml)
- ¾ tsp turmeric (3.75 ml)
📦Other(7)
- 45g raw cashews + ½c boiling water (+¼c to rinse) (1.59 oz)
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chili (or paprika) (10 ml)paprika
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili (5 ml)
- 1 tsp green chili (optional) (5 ml)optional
- 3 tbsp scant kasuri methi (45 ml)
- 2 tbsp kasuri methi (30 ml)
- 30oz canned peeled tomatoes OR 1kg Roma, blended (850 g)1kg Roma, blended
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
422
Protein
48g
Carbs
13g
Fat
20g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook chicken to 165°F/74°C. Pan-fry, grill or bake.
- 2
Soak cashews 30 min; blend smooth.
- 3
Sauté whole spices in oil 1–2 min. Remove later/use a spice bag.
- 4
Cook onion until golden. Add ginger-garlic + chili; cook 1–2 min.
- 5
Add powdered spices + a little tomato; cook 2–5 min. Add remaining tomato; simmer 10–15 min until thick.
- 6
Add water; cover + simmer 12–14 min. Remove whole spices.
- 7
Add sugar + cashew cream, then chicken + kasuri methi; cook 2–3 min. Season; finish with cream + cilantro.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken in the yogurt-spice mixture for at least 30 minutes before cooking, but preferably 2-4 hours, because lactic acid in Greek yogurt denatures proteins and allows spices to penetrate 40-60% deeper into the meat.timing30 minutes minimum; 2-4 hours optimal
- ✓Toast whole spices (cumin, coriander) for exactly 60-90 seconds until fragrant, not longer, because volatile aromatic oils begin degrading at 350°F and you'll lose top notes that define tikka masala's complexity.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Use 0% Greek yogurt specifically because full-fat versions (10-15% fat) curdle above 160°F when exposed to acidic tomatoes and spices; the absence of fat keeps the sauce silky during the 12-14 minute simmer without breaking.ingredient0% fat required; full-fat curdles above 160°F
- ✓Add the cashew cream in the final 2-3 minutes of cooking after the sauce reaches thick consistency, because adding it earlier allows tannins in tomatoes to bind with cashew proteins and create a grainy texture instead of velvet richness.timingFinal 2-3 minutes only
- ✓Sauté the ginger-garlic paste for a full 1-2 minutes after adding to onions before introducing spices, because this mellow reaction (Maillard effect) converts harsh raw sulfur compounds into sweet, savory notes that round the dish.technique1-2 minutes minimum
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Tikka Masala
Whip up a delightful homemade tikka masala in just 7-8 minutes straight from your freezer! Packed with tender chicken, vibrant spices, and creamy coconut milk, this healthy curry is a go-to for satisfying your cravings any night of the week. Get ready to savor every bite of this quick and delicious meal!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🥬Fresh Produce(6)
- ¼c cilantro (60 ml)
- 3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (45 ml)
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (30 ml)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (45 ml)
- 390g onion, diced (13.8 oz)
- 1–2c water* (240 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1.8kg boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed (3.96 lbs)optional
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 3 tbsp 15% cream (45 ml)
- 365g 0% Greek yogurt (12.9 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 2 tbsp oil (30 ml)
- 2½ tsp sugar (12.5 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(14)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp coriander (15 ml)
- 2 tbsp coriander (30 ml)
- ~4” cinnamon
- 12 cloves
- 1½ tsp cumin (7.5 ml)
- 2½ tsp cumin (12.5 ml)
- 1 tbsp garam masala (15 ml)
- 1½ tbsp garam masala (22.5 ml)
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp paprika (5 ml)
- 1 tsp salt (5 ml)
- ~2 tsp salt (10 ml)
- ¾ tsp turmeric (3.75 ml)
📦Other(7)
- 45g raw cashews + ½c boiling water (+¼c to rinse) (1.59 oz)
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chili (or paprika) (10 ml)paprika
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili (5 ml)
- 1 tsp green chili (optional) (5 ml)optional
- 3 tbsp scant kasuri methi (45 ml)
- 2 tbsp kasuri methi (30 ml)
- 30oz canned peeled tomatoes OR 1kg Roma, blended (850 g)1kg Roma, blended
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
422
Protein
48g
Carbs
13g
Fat
20g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook chicken to 165°F/74°C. Pan-fry, grill or bake.
- 2
Soak cashews 30 min; blend smooth.
- 3
Sauté whole spices in oil 1–2 min. Remove later/use a spice bag.
- 4
Cook onion until golden. Add ginger-garlic + chili; cook 1–2 min.
- 5
Add powdered spices + a little tomato; cook 2–5 min. Add remaining tomato; simmer 10–15 min until thick.
- 6
Add water; cover + simmer 12–14 min. Remove whole spices.
- 7
Add sugar + cashew cream, then chicken + kasuri methi; cook 2–3 min. Season; finish with cream + cilantro.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken in the yogurt-spice mixture for at least 30 minutes before cooking, but preferably 2-4 hours, because lactic acid in Greek yogurt denatures proteins and allows spices to penetrate 40-60% deeper into the meat.timing30 minutes minimum; 2-4 hours optimal
- ✓Toast whole spices (cumin, coriander) for exactly 60-90 seconds until fragrant, not longer, because volatile aromatic oils begin degrading at 350°F and you'll lose top notes that define tikka masala's complexity.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Use 0% Greek yogurt specifically because full-fat versions (10-15% fat) curdle above 160°F when exposed to acidic tomatoes and spices; the absence of fat keeps the sauce silky during the 12-14 minute simmer without breaking.ingredient0% fat required; full-fat curdles above 160°F
- ✓Add the cashew cream in the final 2-3 minutes of cooking after the sauce reaches thick consistency, because adding it earlier allows tannins in tomatoes to bind with cashew proteins and create a grainy texture instead of velvet richness.timingFinal 2-3 minutes only
- ✓Sauté the ginger-garlic paste for a full 1-2 minutes after adding to onions before introducing spices, because this mellow reaction (Maillard effect) converts harsh raw sulfur compounds into sweet, savory notes that round the dish.technique1-2 minutes minimum