Chicken tikka masala from scratch - my version after three years of tweaking - what would you do

[ReacherOtter]

Not claiming this is authentic, just that it is genuinely good and better than anything I have had from a takeaway in years. The key is marinating the chicken overnight and blooming the spices in ghee before adding anything wet. I use full-fat yoghurt in the marinade and finish with a splash of cream at the end. The sauce should be smooth so blend it before adding the chicken back in.

Marinade: chicken thighs, full-fat yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric, lemon juice. Overnight minimum.

Sauce: ghee, onion, garlic, ginger, tinned tomatoes, the spices again plus a little kashmiri chilli for colour, blend until smooth, finish with cream.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AAdKl1UYZs

[Skibidi]

Overnight marinade is non-negotiable. I tried 2 hours once and you can tell the difference immediately. The yoghurt needs time to properly tenderise the meat

[DiogoCardoso]

Blooming spices in ghee rather than oil is the single biggest upgrade I made to my curry cooking. The difference in depth of flavour is remarkable

[Darren51]

Do you grill the chicken separately before adding it to the sauce or poach it directly in the tikka? The charred version is more authentic but poaching keeps it juicier

[BigDogShane10]

Kashmiri chilli for colour is the trick. Loads of people wonder how restaurant tikka masala gets that deep orange-red without burning anything. That is the answer

[Arty Candle]

The blend-before-adding-chicken step is underrated. Smooth sauce coats the chicken properly and you do not get chunks of half-dissolved onion ruining the texture

[JohnyBlue]

I add a small amount of dried fenugreek leaves right at the end. It is the thing that makes it smell like a proper restaurant curry and it costs almost nothing