Tandoori masala is a little bit of Indian BBQ fairy dust. The stuff that makes grilled chicken magic. Or lamb chops crazy tasty.
You can buy tandoori masala. Just about anywhere. Every Indian grocer on the planet sells it.
Super convenient.Comes in a nice neat container even. But it has a fatal flaw. And I just can’t take it anymore.
There is too much salt in commercial tandoori masala
And that makes me a little crazy. Commercial tandoori masala is made to season meat right before it hits the grill. Nothing else.
So it’s salty. Like commercial dry rubs. Or cajun spice. Salt is sometimes even the first ingredient.
It works. It’s ridiculously expensive for something that’s mostly salt. But it works. A one trick pony. A good trick. Grilled chicken likes salt.
But it is a real pain when you want to use it as an ingredient. In a chicken tikka masala for instance.
You have to figure out how it will impact your salt balance. That’s the part that drives me crazy.
And every brand is different. Some have more salt than others. Some use a mix of salt and MSG. Two separate ingredients. So they go lower on the list of ingredients. Sneaky.
Makes it really hard to write recipes. One brand works but another one is way too salty. That’s why I am doing this post. I’m tired of being limited.
I’m working on a hotel style chicken tikka masala right now. And commercial tandoori masala is messing with my ability to get the results I want. So it has to go.
Amchoor is the secret ingredient
I thought a lot about this recipe. Tasted a lot of spice mixes. Ate a fair bit of tandoori chicken. Not a hardship. I love tandoori chicken.
I came to the conclusion that the error bars on tandoori masala are pretty big. A little more of this. A little less of that. Doesn’t make a huge difference.
Except for one ingredient. Amchoor. Ground dried mango powder. There’s a tang to tandoori masala. It’s important. Critical even.
That tang has to come from somewhere. Cheaper blends use citric acid. The better ones use amchoor. I’m going with amchoor.
Red doesn’t mean anything
Tandoori chicken is red. Right? It’s always red. Here’s the thing. It’s really supposed to get its colour from a whole lot of chili powder, paprika and turmeric.
That’s the awesome version. Maybe not for the faint of heart though. So the watered down version uses food colouring.
Food colouring adds no flavour. None. Looks good though. It’s what people expect to see.
Think of red icing. Does that taste like tandoori? No? Same stuff. Zero added flavour. Literally. Pure cosmetics.
I don’t know where it started. It has to be bright red/orange or it’s not tandoori. Why is that even a thing?
I’m feeling the shame here though. The hypocrisy is almost more than I can bear. Almost. I’m bad. I use food colouring when I take pictures for glebekitchen.
Terrible. I know. But red sells. Nobody would care otherwise. Which is unfortunate. But also fact. I am guilty of propagating the myth.
I’m going to stop. Enough is enough. Truth in tandoori chicken here from now on. Well mostly anyway. Like I said. Red sells.
Fresh ground spices make a big difference
I’m not sure it’s possible to overstate how big a deal freshly ground spices are. Game changer. Mind blower even. Huge.
I clearly remember the first time I did it. Was a long time ago. My memory sucks. I don’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning.
But I remember that first bite. A simple chicken curry. An extraordinary chicken curry.
I don’t always do it. It’s work. I’d have some of the best recipes on the internet if I asked everyone to grind their spices for every dish.
I’d also have the smallest audience on the internet. So I try to keep it in check. It’s a balance. I save it for when it really matters.
There’s a time and place for everything. Your kitchen is the place. This is the time. Tandoori masala is so worth the effort. Try it. You’ll see.
Small batches are best for tandoori masala
This recipe does not make a lot of tandoori masala. And there’s a reason for that. The wonder that fresh ground spices brings does not last forever. It fades.
It does scale though. If you need a lot of it just use the slider in the recipe card. You can make a kilo of it if you want.
I like to keep my batches small. Use it up. While it’s still amazing. And then make some more.
Tandoori masala from scratch
It’s not hard to make tandoori masala. Dead easy really. If you can measure spices you can make it.
Toss some whole spices in a pan. Toast them until fragrant. Grind. Mix with some ground spices. That’s it. Boiling water is more complicated.
You control the salt. You control the colour. And you enjoy the flavour that only fresh ground spices can bring.
If you are really hung up on eating red chicken then do it. A little red food colouring changes nothing. Flavour-wise anyway. Doesn’t really matter.
We do first eat with our eyes. It’s your kitchen. Your call. I’m about flavour. Colour is up to you.
Bottom line. If you want maximum flavour this is for you. Tasty stuff. Red or not.
tandoori masala
Ingredients
whole spices
- 3 tbsp coriander seed
- 1 tbsp cumin seed
- 3 blades mace – about 1-2 grams
- 1 tsp black pepper corns
- 1 inch cinnamon not cassia for a change
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 green cardamom
ground spices
- 1 tbsp paprika for colour
- 2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 4 tsp amchoor powder
- 1 tsp granulated garlic powder
Instructions
Toast your whole spices
- Pre-heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the spices, shaking the pan constantly, until fragrant. This should take about 2 minutes.
- Allow whole spices to cool. Transfer to a spice grinder (I like my old blade style coffee grinder for this). Grind to powder.
- Combine with powder spices and shake well to combine. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dark place.
Use your tandoori masala
- You can use it as is in dishes calling for tandoori masala. You may need to up the salt. If a recipe calls for store-bought tandoori masala they are counting on the salt in the mix.
- To make a simple tandoori marinade combine 3 tbsp tandoori masala, 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste, 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of kasoori methi and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. A little naga pickle is nice if you like some extra heat. A little mint sauce is a nice touch as well if you have it. Stir to combine.
- Pour over your chicken and mix. Marinate up to 4 hours. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon and mix again. BBQ. Preferably over charcoal. Or in your pizza oven to mix things up.
Nutrition
tandoori masala
Ingredients
whole spices
- 3 tbsp coriander seed
- 1 tbsp cumin seed
- 3 blades mace - about 1-2 grams
- 1 tsp black pepper corns
- 1 inch cinnamon not cassia for a change
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 green cardamom
ground spices
- 1 tbsp paprika for colour
- 2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 4 tsp amchoor powder
- 1 tsp granulated garlic powder
Instructions
Toast your whole spices
- Pre-heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the spices, shaking the pan constantly, until fragrant. This should take about 2 minutes.
- Allow whole spices to cool. Transfer to a spice grinder (I like my old blade style coffee grinder for this). Grind to powder.
- Combine with powder spices and shake well to combine. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dark place.
Use your tandoori masala
- You can use it as is in dishes calling for tandoori masala. You may need to up the salt. If a recipe calls for store-bought tandoori masala they are counting on the salt in the mix.
- To make a simple tandoori marinade combine 3 tbsp tandoori masala, 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste, 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of kasoori methi and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. A little naga pickle is nice if you like some extra heat. A little mint sauce is a nice touch as well if you have it. Stir to combine.
- Pour over your chicken and mix. Marinate up to 4 hours. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon and mix again. BBQ. Preferably over charcoal. Or in your pizza oven to mix things up.
Nutrition
There are chicken tikka masala recipes out there that are about garam masala and tomatoes. Or tomato soup. This is not one of those recipes.
This is the other end of the spectrum. Go for gold. Pull out all the stops. If you love chicken tikka masala you need to try this version.
Not everyone wants to go the distance. I get that. For some people tomato soup and garam masala is good enough.
I am not one of those people. If you are not one of those people read on.
Chicken tikka masala has humble roots
Indian cuisine is old. It has history. Real history. Truly old world. Timeless. Migrating people. Merging of cultures. Locavores adapting. Absolutely fascinating.
Chicken tikka masala isn’t part of that history. It’s new. Relatively speaking of course. We are talking about a cuisine with a history that goes back millennia. More.
The best story I know is chicken tikka masala was invented in the 1970s. Which is pretty old. But not really. Spoiler alert. It doesn’t even come from India.
Story goes like this. A bus driver goes to his local. Orders his regular. And decides it doesn’t have enough sauce.
So he sends it back. The pivotal moment.
The chef has an ulcer. He’s eating tomato soup. Like anyone with an ulcer would be eating tomato soup. Not my story. Just go with it…
The chef gets annoyed. Somebody is complaining about his masterpiece. And he’s stuck eating canned tomato soup.
He tosses his leftover soup in the guys curry. “That’ll shut this guy up” he’s thinking. A waiter delivers the chefs wrath. And it happens.
Culinary history is made.
Myth? Probably. But it’s a great story. What I really want to know is what curry the bus driver ordered. Anyone know that part of the story?
Choice of chicken tikka matters
This dish is about chicken tikka in sauce. Really good sauce. But sauce. So the chicken tikka has to be good.
Use whatever chicken tikka recipe you like. If it’s good enough to stand on it’s own it’s going to be good enough for this recipe.
I’d push you to this version of chicken tikka . But I’m already asking a lot with this particular recipe. I get that maybe that’s over the top. So I’m offering up a simpler version.
A little naga pickle really works in this version. If you can take the heat naga pickle is something you should consider. Such tasty stuff.
A little tang is nice
I like that tandoori tang in chicken tikka masala. But I don’t think day-glo red is right for hotel style. This is posh. Day-glo isn’t particularly posh.
So I had to limit the amount of tandoori masala that goes into this recipe. More tandoori masala. More red. A problem.
And the different brands of tandoori masala have wildly differing salt content. Another problem. I changed brands mid recipe development. And it messed everything up.
In the end I gave up. I stopped working on this recipe. And came up with my own tandoori masala .
Problem solved. You can still use commercial blends. You just have to be careful with how much extra salt you add. And be OK with how red your curry winds up.
I took these pictures using a commercial version. I thought I had it. The day I took pictures I tried a new commercial tandoori masala. And it was way too salty.
So if you make your version with the glebekitchen tandoori masala and it’s not the same colour that’s why. You’ll get the colour I wanted to see.
I will take the pictures again. Glebekitchen is supposed to be what you see is what you get. Pictures of my dinner. Always.
But I’ve had a lot of requests for this recipe so I can’t wait. And it was my dinner that night. Before I gave up on commercial masala. Please forgive me. Just this once.
There are two gravies in this one
If you’re new to hotel style cooking it’s a little different from what you might be used to. If you cook restaurant style anyway.
Hotel style is super posh restaurant style. It’s still restaurant cooking. Cooking to order. But it brings a more discipline.
The basic idea is the same. There’s a gravy. It’s the base of the curry. But it’s a completely different gravy.
And in this chicken tikka masala there are two gravies. Yes. Two gravies. Think like a high end restaurant.
The sauces are foundational. Like French cooking. Which is why I love it. This is India meets Cordon Bleu. Like I said. Discipline.
There’s an onion gravy. I call that hotel gravy. It’s where the depth of flavour comes from.
And there’s the makhani gravy. Rich tomato flavour. Tang. A little sweetness. Another layer of flavour.
Not really makhani gravy actually. Tomato gravy. Because you use the version without the butter and cream. Two gravies. One serious curry.
Chicken tikka masala – hotel style
This may be the most complicated chicken tikka masala recipe out there. I haven’t looked that hard. But I wouldn’t be surprised.
So I get that this one isn’t for everyone. It’s not for the those with a passing interest. Not for the Campbell’s soup and garam masala crowd.
It is for those that are ready to go the distance. Those that are looking for something special. If that’s you then this one might be what you’re looking for.
chicken tikka masala – Indian hotel style
Ingredients
Quick chicken tikka
- 1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless. Each thigh cut into 3 or 4 pieces
- 3 tbsp tandoori masala – you want a brand that isn’t super heavy on the salt. Or you can make your own. See the link in the notes.
- 2 tsp kasoor methi
- 1/4 tsp naga pickle – optional but so tasty if you can stand the heat
- 1 tsp kosher salt – an extra tsp of kosher salt if you are using the glebekitchen tandoori masala.
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
The spice mix
- 2 tsp tandoori masala – same story as above.
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4-2 tsp kashmiri chili powder 1/4 tsp is pretty mild. 2 tsp has a bit of kick. You decide.
- 1/4 tsp amchoor powder – dried mango powder
- 1 1/2 tsp kasoor methi – dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tsp kosher salt – if you use the tandoori masala recipe below (no salt). If you are using a commercial tandoori masala I’d think about cutting it back to 1/2 tsp max and seasoning to taste at the end.
chicken tikka masala
- 1 cup Indian hotel curry gravy – link below
- 1/2 cup makhani gravy – without the added butter and cream (link below)
- 5 tbsp neutral oil – canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp garlic ginger paste
- the spice mix from above
- 2 tsp brown sugar – I’m not crazy about sweet curries so if you like it sweet you can probably add a bit more.
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream – optional. The cream adds richness but also blunts the flavour. Go with what you prefer. I usually leave it out.
- enough chicken stock to get you to the consistency you want chicken stock is not cubes.
Instructions
Make your simple chicken tikka
- Combine the tandoori masala, kasoori methi, salt and oil. Stir to combine. If you like a bit of spice a little naga pickle goes nicely in this mix.
- Add the chicken thighs. Mix. Use tongs for this. This stuff stains. Badly.
- Marinate anywhere from 1 to 4 hours.
- While the chicken marinates, preheat your oven to 400F. Pre-heat a baking pan.
- Use your tongs to place the chicken onto the pre-heated baking sheet. Return the baking sheet to the oven. Cook for around 6 minutes. Flip each piece and return the baking sheet to the oven. Continue to cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160-165F. This should take another 4-8 minutes or so. Really depends on how big your chicken thigh pieces are. When you’ve hit your target internal temp set the chicken aside.
- If you can I do recommend using a BBQ. Asian groceries and restaurant supply stores sell these little wire mesh grates. They are awesome for grilling little pieces like tikka. No skewering required.
- I strongly prefer charcoal over gas. Set yourself up for a direct zone and an indirect zone. Cook the chicken over the indirect zone until you get to an internal temp of about 150F then char the chicken up a bit over the direct zone. Those little Asian grill grates are really nice for this. You can just slide the grate, chicken and all from the indirect zone to the direct zone and back. Super handy. Remove the chicken when you get to 160-165F and set aside.
Make the hotel style chicken tikka masala
- Make your spice mix. Measure out all the spices, kasoor methi and salt and toss them into a little bowl. It’s all going in at once.
- Pre-heat a skillet large enough to hold all the ingredients over medium-low heat. Pick a skillet that has a lid. Add the oil.
- When the oil starts to shimmer add the garlic ginger paste. Cook, stirring continuously, until it stops sputtering. This part can get a bit messy. Stand back. You want to drive the water out and cook the paste a bit. You don’t want it to colour up.
- Add the spice mix. All of it. Stir to combine and fry for about 30-45 seconds. You want the spices to fry in the oil If it looks dry or it’s starting to stick reduce the heat and add more oil. You are blooming spices. This is where the magic happens. If you don’t have a really good hood fan your house should smell like an Indian restaurant at this point.
- Add the hotel gravy and the makhani gravy. Stir to combine. Get the oil worked into the sauce. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk and brown sugar and then add the chicken tikka. Cover and simmer until the chicken tikka is warmed through.
- Add the heavy cream if using.
- Look at the consistency of the sauce. If you would like it a bit thinner add a bit of chicken stock and stir. You probably won’t need any if you are using the heavy cream. Simmer for about a minute.
- Serve with rice and naan or chapatis. A nice chana masala or tarka dal is always good too.
