How to Cook Delicious Chicken Tikka Masala with Authentic Indian Curry Flavor

How to choose fresh ingredients

How to choose fresh chicken

• To choose good chicken, select chicken that has naturally pink-red meat, not too pale or too dark. Especially, the chicken meat should not have bruises or blood clots. Parts of the meat that are slightly pale or turning darker gray indicate that the chicken had died before being processed.
• If purchasing pre-packaged meat, you should carefully observe the expiration date and packaging date. Check if the openings of the bags are intact.
• For this recipe, you should buy pre-prepared chicken thighs for better cooking results. You should purchase chicken thighs from reputable brands that produce pre-packaged chicken sold in trusted supermarkets.

How to choose good tomatoes

• For tomatoes, choose those with a bright red outer skin, evenly colored all over. The outer skin should be intact, without scratches, and firm to the touch, indicating fresh tomatoes.
• Natural ripened tomatoes usually have a mild fragrance that can be easily detected when smelled. In contrast, tomatoes that have been artificially ripened have no aroma at all.
• You should select tomatoes that still have their stems attached, with the stems still fresh and not withered. Naturally ripened tomatoes typically have their stems tightly attached to the fruit.

Information about some ingredients

Paprika

• Paprika is a type of red powder made from bell peppers, and it is also made from a type of tomato pepper and supplemented with some other peppers that have a pungent flavor profile.
• Paprika comes in two types: spicy and non-spicy. The spicy type is made from the fruit’s skin but contains many pepper seeds, and it also uses stems, ovules, and sepals; the non-spicy type is primarily made from the fruit’s skin and only adds half the number of pepper seeds.
• You can buy paprika powder at specialty spice shops, ingredient stores, or at supermarkets and on e-commerce websites as well.

Garam masala powder

• Garam Masala is a spice made from ground coriander, fennel, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Garam Masala is commonly used in food preparation to enhance the flavor of dishes. In addition, it is also a wonderful spice for marinating chicken or beef. More importantly, Garam Masala is considered an essential ingredient for creating the characteristic fragrant curry flavor of India.
• You can find Garam masala powder at specialty spice stores, additives shops, or at imported goods supermarkets or on e-commerce websites (price 65,000 VND/100gr).

Coriander seeds

• Coriander seeds are seeds obtained from the coriander plant – also known as cilantro or coriander leaves. Coriander seeds have a spicy, warm taste, with a characteristic light fragrance, and are a popular spice in India.
• People often use coriander seeds to add to broth or to stir-fry with seafood and meat. More importantly, coriander seeds are an essential spice in Indian curry, which enhances the flavor and aroma of the dish.
• You can find coriander seeds at specialty ingredient stores, imported food shops, or buy them on e-commerce sites.

Other ingredients: Unsalted butter, yogurt, heavy cream can be found at baking ingredient shops, large supermarkets, or shopping centers. Additionally, you can make yogurt and unsalted butter at home following TasteVN’s instructions.

Tools needed

Blender, bowl, pot, spoon, strainer,…