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Chicken Tikka Masala
When chunks of roasted marinated chicken pieces (also called Chicken Tikka) are cooked in a creamy spiced tomato sauce, it creates a delicious dish called Chicken Tikka Masala. Many believe that this dish was invented in 1970s in Scotland by a chef from Bangladesh, who added a mild tomato-cream sauce to the spicy roasted chicken in order to please a customer. Over the years, many chefs have invented their own versions of this recipe. According to Wikipedia, a survey found that there are 48 different recipes of Chicken Tikka Masala and the only common ingredient is chicken.

In this dish, small pieces of boneless chicken thighs are marinated in yogurt and spices and then roasted in a convection oven at a high temperature. The roasted chicken pieces are then cooked in a sauce made with tomato, onions, spices, and half & half (blend of equal parts milk and cream). The perfect blend of aromatic spices and cream (from half & half) makes it a heavenly treat.

Happy Cooking!
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
Chicken Thigh Boneless
1 to 1 1/2 pounds, marinated and roasted
Cumin Seeds
1/2 teaspoon
Onion
3 medium, finely chopped
Garlic Cloves
10, peeled and finely crushed
Turmeric Powder
1/4 teaspoon
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
1 teaspoon
Salt
1 and 1/4 teaspoons or according to taste
Lime Juice
1 teaspoon
Dried Fenugreek leaves
1 teaspoon
Olive Oil
3 tablespoon
Whole Garam Masala
Whole Black Cardamom - 1, Whole Green Cardamom - 3, Clove - 3, Cinnamon stick - 1
Red Tomato
3 medium, finely chopped
Ginger
1 and 1/4 inches, peeled and finely crushed
Coriander Powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons
Garam Masala Powder
1/2 teaspoon
Cashew Nut
4 tablespoons, soaked in water and made into paste
Half & Half
1/4 cup (8 oz cup)
Water
About 1 cup (8 oz cup)
Method
Step 1
Note - To make this dish, you would need to marinate and roast small pieces of about 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken thigh. The marinated and roasted chunks of chicken thigh is also called Chicken Tikka. Click Chicken Tikka for detailed recipe of Chicken Tikka. Once you have Chicken Tikkas ready, follow the steps below for making Chicken Tikka Masala.

Soak cashew nuts in 1/2 cup water for about 3 to 4 hours. Then, blend the cashew nuts in a blender to make a paste. Keep it aside.
Step 2
Heat olive oil (or another oil of your choice) on medium-high. Add the cumin seeds and whole garam masala to the oil. When the cumin seeds start to crackle and whole garam masala start to sizzle, add the chopped onions. Fry the onions until they turn translucent, soft, and golden brown.
Step 3
Add the crushed ginger and garlic and continue to fry for a couple of minutes to cook and combine the aroma of ginger and garlic with onions.
Step 4
Then, add the chopped tomatoes and fry until tomatoes get mushy and mix well with onion-ginger-garlic mixture.
Step 5
Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Add a few tablespoons of water to mix the spices with onion-ginger-garlic-tomato mixture. Cook the spices for about 2 minutes on medium-high and then add the cashew nut paste. Continue to cook until the oil separates from the mixture. Keep stirring the mixture frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You will see oil bubbles on top of the spice mixture when it's ready. In this step, you may need to add some more water to prevent the spices from burning.
Step 6
Add roasted chicken pieces (Chicken Tikka) and lime juice, and mix well.
Step 7
Finally, add half & half and crushed dried fenugreek leaves, mix well, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Your Chicken Tikka Masala is ready. Serve it with any Indian bread or rice dish.

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