As title says, I made the following serious eats recipe by kenji tonight: https://www.seriouseats.com/chicken-tikka-masala-for-the-grill-recipe
I have made 50+ kenji recipes and can honestly say I’ve loved all of them, except this tikka masala recipe, and I’m just confused if it’s just me…
It was just not the flavor profile I’m familiar with. Really far from it. It was overly acidic. There isn’t garam masala in it (or the individual spices common to it instead such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom). It was heavy on paprika. It was just, weird. I’m fallible, so it’s possible that I made a mistake in the preparation, but I’m a pretty careful and meticulous generally so I don’t think so.
Has anyone else made and felt similarly? Also, does anyone have a tried and true tikka masala recipe they love?
Thanks!
by asianeats22
14 Comments
Our fave, haven’t tried Kenji’s…
https://twosleevers.com/chicken-tikka-masala/
That recipe seems more like tandoori chicken than chicken tikka.
How long did you marinate the chicken? Reading the recipe there is a decent amount of acidity from the lemons and yogurt that make up the base off the marinade
Could be it marinaded too long for your preferences?
Tikka masala is a British Indian restaurant dish, so in this case I’d prefer a writer who’s close to that, e.g. https://greatcurryrecipes.net/2012/01/31/how-to-make-chicken-tikka-masala-like-they-do-in-the-indian-restaurants/
100% agree
It seems like he’s focusing on simplicity. At first I thought maybe this was published back when the average American wouldn’t have been able to easily find a pre-made garam masala, but it says it was updated in Aug. 2023. To me this recipe seems like it would be very bright/acidic in flavor and rely on the charring of the grill, along with the dairy, to balance that out. Some of the warmer spices are missing that you would otherwise find in a garam masala: cloves, cinammon, sometimes nutmeg. I can see where it might taste like some of those familiar friends are missing.
Not sure what your experience with CTM is but for me this is the only recipe that comes close to the British Indian restaurant taste I love. The cloves and acid are perfect for me.
I’ve made a lot of versions from different authors (Dan toombs, musty ricardo, etc) but this honestly the closest I’ve ever had at home.
Do you have a reference point that you’re trying to get close to? Where have you had good tikka masala that floats your boat? Might help find a recipe that’s closer.
I have made this before, but I feel something got lost in the edit. The spice mix seems off.
I’ve made a fair few, this is my current favourite.
https://chilliandmint.com/2020/11/18/chicken-tikka-masala-always-a-crowd-pleaser/
My favorite Tikka Masala recipe is Chef John’s!
There’s Heston Blumenthal’s: https://insearchofheston.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/how-to-make-hestons-perfect-chicken-tikka-masala-recipe-from-in-search-of-perfection/
He is right about not grilling the chicken all the way to doneness…cooks the rest of the way in the masala, doesn’t get overdone
All Latif’s recipes are legit!
https://youtu.be/_weLAzB1nFk?si=OUhOe0zAogTYU1k4
Enjoy
Yeah, this one really isn’t close to a proper “takeout” chicken tikka masala recipe. Chicken tikka masala is a British concoction and is quite a bit different than more “authentic” Indian dishes (although I don’t think this recipe is close to an authentic Indian-style either).
Take a look at these 2 recipes, both my chefs who run/ran restaurants in England.
Chef Din:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wuLKyDG1to](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wuLKyDG1to)
Latif’s:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_weLAzB1nFk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_weLAzB1nFk)
Notice the use of Patak’s paste. As someone who grew up with home-style Indian recipes, that really surprised me. But it seems to be key to this style (at least for Chicken Tikka Masala).