Recipes / Mains

Chicken Tikka Masala

Name: Chicken Tikka Masala
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 245 min
Ingredients: generous amount of extra virgin olive oil; 3 1/2 tsp chili powder; 4 tsp ginger powder; 3 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 3 tsp Tikka Masala spice mix; 1 lime, juiced; sea salt; pepper; 2 chicken fillets; 2 tbsp coconut oil; 6 smaller garlic cloves, thinly chopped; 1 red onion, thinly chopped; 8 tsp Tikka Masala spice mix; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 1/2 tsp chili powder; 65 g chickpeas; 6 cherry tomatoes, chopped; 30 g chopped spinach (I tend to use frozen cubes); 300 ml creamy full-fat coconut milk; sea salt; pepper; steamed basmati rice; cashew nuts, chopped; fresh cilantro, chopped

By Kai · Feb 6, 2018

Save Print

This weekend was a rather slow one for me, which for a change was all I could have asked for. But in a strange way, in the middle of my Sunday yoga meditation, all I could imagine was a creamy, warming, spicy bowl full of rich chicken curry. So I decided to give in to the temptation and make a hearty Chicken Tikka Masala. The recipe along with instructions is below.

↓ Jump to Recipe

At a glance

Prep20 min

Cook45 min

Marinating3 h

Total4 h 5 min

Makes2 servings

LevelMedium

Kai Kodasma

Chicken Tikka Masala

A creamy, warming, spicy chicken tikka masala with coconut milk, chickpeas and spinach.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Marinating 3

Total Time 4 5

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

generous amount of extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 tsp chili powder
4 tsp ginger powder
3 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp Tikka Masala spice mix
1 lime, juiced
sea salt
pepper
2 chicken fillets

Chicken Tikka Masala sauce

2 tbsp coconut oil
6 smaller garlic cloves, thinly chopped
1 red onion, thinly chopped
8 tsp Tikka Masala spice mix
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
65 g chickpeas
6 cherry tomatoes, chopped
30 g chopped spinach (I tend to use frozen cubes)
300 ml creamy full-fat coconut milk
sea salt
pepper

To serve

steamed basmati rice
cashew nuts, chopped
fresh cilantro, chopped

Method

The chicken

Mix all the marinade ingredients together and massage the chicken fillets with the mixture. Ideally cut the fillets into equal-size pieces so they get more infused with the flavours and cook more evenly. Marinate for at least a few hours — this can be done the night before if you’re planning ahead.
Grill the chicken fillets (healthier than frying) with the marinade in a preheated 200°C oven for about 20–25 minutes. Make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through on both sides, but keep in mind it will get a bit more heat in the frying pan, so leave it just a tiny bit underdone, pale white inside — we do not want dry chicken swimming in our Chicken Tikka Masala. Put the chicken fillets to rest on a cutting board.

The sauce

Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic and red onion and cook until almost transparent.
Add the spices and mix, then add the chopped cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, sea salt and pepper. Gently stir everything together, then add the spinach and the chicken pieces (cut into bite-size pieces) and mix some more, making sure everything is nicely combined.
When everything is nicely cuddling and infused with spices, add the coconut milk and stir until smooth.
Taste whether the sauce needs a bit more salt, pepper, chili or anything else to your liking. Let it all simmer a bit more and you’re ready for serving — with basmati rice, chopped cashews and cilantro.

Notes

TIP: to make life a little easier and less messy, I like to put the chicken fillets into a small plastic bag, add all the marinade ingredients into the bag, close it, gently massage the chicken and put it into the refrigerator.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Chicken Tikka Masala