The main difference between Tandoori and Tikka is that Tandoori is often made with larger pieces of meat on the bone or fish/vegetables/paneer, whereas Tikka is usually made with smaller portions of meat/fish/vegetables/paneer that are cubed and often on a skewer. Both of these dishes are made from pre-marinating ingredients in a yoghurt paste with spices and are normally cooked in a traditional tandoor oven, but you can substitute with an oven and/or grill.
This is a very versatile recipe as the paste is the same for meat/fish/vegetables/paneer, only the marinating and cooking time will differ. The yoghurt, spices, marinating time and heat of the oven are key for making this work. You can also buy pre-made paste and mix this with yoghurt, but I find the taste is a lot more complex and fresher when made at home. Both of these are traditionally served like kebabs, without sauce, as a starter, main or side dish with rice, bread, chutneys, yoghurt, and pickles.
Tikka Masala is a dish made from the marinated meat/fish/vegetables which are cooked in the oven/under the grill, then cooked further in and served with a creamy sauce, and there is some debate as to its origin. Though not too dissimilar from other Punjabi style butter chicken recipes, the generally accepted lore is that Tikka Masala originated in Glasgow when Chef Ali Ahmed Aslam of the Shish Mahal improvised a new sauce by adding cream, tomato soup, and some spices to chicken that was sent back by a Glaswegian native for being too spicy, and a desire to eat meat with gravy. There was even an attempt by MP Mohammed Sarwar to table a motion in the House of Commons for Glasgow to be given protected geographical status by the European Union for the creation of the Chicken Tikka Masala. In my opinion, it is a British dish, but British and specifically Scottish, by way of multiculturalism.
Ingredients for paste:
-400g Yoghurt
-3 tsp salt, preferably pink/Himalayan salt
-1 heaped tbsp ginger garlic paste
-1 heaped tsp ground cumin
-2 heaped tsp red chilli powder
-1 heaped tsp Madras curry powder
-1 heaped tsp garam masala
-1 heaped tsp ground coriander
-1 heaped tsp of tamarind paste mixed with a little hot water, or juice from a lemon. You need some acidity to allow for the paste to work
Optional: Red food colouring
Ingredients for sauce (optional):
-1/2 thinly sliced onion
-1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
-5 crushed cardamom pod seeds
-1/2 chopped chillies to taste
-Salt to taste
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp ground coriander
-1 tsp turmeric
-1 tsp garam masala
-1 can tinned tomatoes, or tomato paste
-2 tablespoons of ghee/butter/oi
-Heavy cream to taste, or cashew nuts soaked overnight then blitzed in a food processor if you are vegan
Method:
-To make the paste, simply tip all of the spices and yoghurt into a large bowl and mix thoroughly for a few minutes.
-You can put your ingredients in from frozen, just don’t put raw frozen meat and vegetables in the same bowl. For meat, you can use cubed lamb or chicken, or whole chicken breasts or thighs, or cubed fish or whole fillets. For a vegetarian version, potatoes, cauliflower, aubergine, peppers and paneer can be used.
-Place your ingredients in the marinade, meat and veg separately in separate containers/bowls, I like to use Ziploc bags, and leave for at least a few hours though overnight works best. Vegetables take less time to absorb flavours
-If using cubes, it is best to use skewers to make small kebabs that can be held together, either way, take a baking tray, line with foil, and lay out your ingredients, shaking off any excess paste. If cooking vegetables you may want to put a little bit of oil on the foil to prevent drying out
-Heat up your oven to at least 200C, up to 230C (390F to 450F, Gas Mark 4-6). Let this heat up over 10-15 minutes, ensuring the oven is really hot.
-The vegetables will only take about 15-30 minutes to cook, depending on size and what you are using, so check them regularly. You can then take them out and grill for a few minutes to crispen them on top.
-Meat will take longer, depending on whether you are using cubes or larger pieces, or meat on the bone. Large chicken breasts take about an hour to cook, turning halfway through then finishing up in the grill for 5 minutes. Make sure your meat is cooked through and turned halfway through cooking. If you are making a masala sauce they can be slightly undercooked as you will be finishing the meat in the sauce.
-If not making the masala sauce, make sure everything is cooked through, put it under the grill for a little bit of a crispier texture, then serve with rice and/or bread, yoghurt and/or chutney, and/or salad. Enjoy!
Optional Masala Sauce:
-Heat up onions in butter/ghee/oil and cook the onions until they turn very soft, add more oil if needed
-Add whole spices if using
-Add chilli and ginger garlic paste and cook for a further few minutes
-Add tomato sauce or paste and cook until this forms a thick sauce
-Let this simmer, adding a little water or stock if needed, until you are ready to put the meat/fish/vegetables in
-If you have used large pieces of meat or whole fillets, now is a good time to chop these into chunks
-Place your meat/fish/vegetables, stir in the sauce and cook for a few minutes, until cooked through if not completely cooked, otherwise enough to pick up the flavour of the sauce
-Bring to a high heat, then simmer at a lower heat. Add in the cashews if using
-At the lower heat, pour in the cream until you get the consistency/taste you want. The sauce will continue to thicken
-Serve with rice and/or bread. Enjoy!
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