Quick and Easy Homemade Tikka Masala

The Assistant loves tikka masala. Loves it. Last night, when he realized that I was cooking Indian, he literally jumped up and down in the kitchen like a crazy person.

Honestly, how can I say no to that?

You can make the recipe with chicken, paneer or vegetables. I usually use a combination of chicken and cauliflower and serve it with rice or homemade naan. Yes, it’s more work to have homemade naan, but it’s just so good.

A caveat to the recipe: tikka masala is typically made with heavy cream. As I’m lactose intolerant, I rarely have heavy cream on hand. Over the years, through careful substitution, I’ve learned that I can replace it with whole milk yogurt. The yogurt is easily digestible for people like me, and more likely to be found in my fridge. Yes, it’s a little less rich than the heavy cream version, but the family doesn’t complain.

There are two recipes here. The first is the spice recipe. You can make a big batch and have it ready to go whenever you need a quick meal. The second is the tikka masala itself.

Tikka Masala Spices

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Serves	14
Prep time	10 minutes

This mixture of tikka masala spices can be used in a variety of Indian recipes.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons corander (ground)
• 4 tablespoons cumin (ground)
• 4 tablespoons garlic powder
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons garam masala
• 2 tablespoons ginger (ground)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder

Directions

Step 1

Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Tikka Masala

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Serves	4
Prep time	5 minutes
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	35 minutes
Allergy	Milk
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Serve Cold

In less than half an hour, you can have homemade tikka masala.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee
• 2 tablespoons tikka masala spices
• .5 onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• .5 cup heavy cream or plain yogurt

Directions

Step 1

In a large, lidded skillet, melt butter or ghee. Saute onions until soft and golden.

Step 2

Add tikka masala spices to buttery onions. Stir to combine. Add tomato paste. Stir to combine.

Step 3

If using chicken, push the onions to the side of the pan and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. If using paneer or vegetables, skip to step 4.

Step 4

Add water. Cover and allow the meat and vegetables to cook through.

Step 5

Approximately two minutes before serving, add cream or yogurt. Stir to combine.

Results

There was actual jumping up and down, both before and after. That’s a huge victory in my book.

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