Topic: CA's Chicken Tikka Masala

[Masala Mark]

Hi Missy,

I know your email was directed at CA but thought I would let you know how it is made here in Aus in the shop to give you some other ideas.

1. Flash fry cubed onion and capsicum, this is just a quick deep fry
2. Heat pan, add oil and heat
3. Add pinch chili powder, pinch methi, pinch black pepper powder
4. Add the flash fried onion and capsicum, quick stir till nice capsicum aroma emerges
5. Add pre-cooked chicken with a little of the cooking liquid
6. Add 1.5 - 2.0 chef spoon butter gravy
7. Add little hot water if required to get consistency, should be quite thick
8. Add 1 chef spoon cream, mix through, simmer couple of mins at most
9. Remove, package, garnish with fresh chopped coriander

The Butter Gravy is nothing more then the BIR gravy base (no veg except onion in it though), except that it has ground cashews added to it, they are soaked in hot water then pureed into a smooth paste and the spicing is different too with cumin being the biggest ingredient. There is sugar in the Butter Gravy hence no need to put it in the final dish at the restaurant, same too with some tomato ketchup. We do add additional tomato ketchup when making a butter chicken though.

Cheers,
Mark

[missy]

Hi Mark

Thanks for your reply. I have very recently started to fry onion and green peppers at the start as well and have found it makes the consistency of the curry much better and a bit more sticky, so I will be doing that all the time from now on. I think it could be down to the cream as to why my CTM's are maybe a little rich, so I may try putting less in or using half cream instead of full whipped cream.

[missy]

Hi Missy,

I know your email was directed at CA but thought I would let you know how it is made here in Aus in the shop to give you some other ideas.

1. Flash fry cubed onion and capsicum, this is just a quick deep fry
2. Heat pan, add oil and heat
3. Add pinch chili powder, pinch methi, pinch black pepper powder
4. Add the flash fried onion and capsicum, quick stir till nice capsicum aroma emerges
5. Add pre-cooked chicken with a little of the cooking liquid
6. Add 1.5 - 2.0 chef spoon butter gravy
7. Add little hot water if required to get consistency, should be quite thick
8. Add 1 chef spoon cream, mix through, simmer couple of mins at most
9. Remove, package, garnish with fresh chopped coriander

The Butter Gravy is nothing more then the BIR gravy base (no veg except onion in it though), except that it has ground cashews added to it, they are soaked in hot water then pureed into a smooth paste and the spicing is different too with cumin being the biggest ingredient. There is sugar in the Butter Gravy hence no need to put it in the final dish at the restaurant, same too with some tomato ketchup. We do add additional tomato ketchup when making a butter chicken though.

Cheers,
Mark

Any chance you can put your full base gravy recipe on here? Would love to see it.

[Cory Ander]

It tastes good but is a little rich. I tried adding coconut powder and dessicated coconut but didn't like the flavour. I am also using whipped cream because it's the only cream that is readily available in Bangkok.

The following is the recipe I am making. What do you think I could add to it? Maybe some vegetables to break the richness? I really appreciate any advice you can give me.

Hi Phil,

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "rich".  To my mind, a CTM IS rich (and very mild, sweet, coconutty and creamy) but, to make it LESS "rich", you could try:

• omitting the ketchup
• reducing (or omitting) the sugar
• reducing the cream (and/or replacing some, or all, of it with milk and/or yoghurt)
• adding a little lemon juice (and/or yoghurt) to make it more "tarty" and "less rich"

However, I think that most of the above (perhaps from the ketchup) move it away from a "traditional" BIR CTM.

Other than that:

• where's the coconut (and/or almonds or other nuts)!?
• why are you adding chili powder (it's supposed to be VERY mild)?

Hope that helps!

PS:  Surely it's not whether YOU like the taste of coconut but whether your customers do?  And, in Thailand, I'd be very surprised if they don't!?

[Cory Ander]

Hi CA, just wanted to say thank you so much - we tried this recipe last night and wow it was amazing!!  This is the 3rd recipe of yours we have tried and they have all been gorgeous so thank you very much  ;D ;D ;D xx

Hi SE,

Glad you tried them, liked them, and reported back with your findings....but where are your photos? 

[pgauthi]

Hey CA,

Thanks for the recipe. I can't find coconut powder in my area, but I do have plenty of desiccated coconut and coconut milk. Is there any way to substitute either of these for the coconut powder (i.e. blending the desiccated coconut to a fine powder, or just adding coconut milk instead of coconut powder mixed into to single cream)?

Cheers,

Pat

[Cory Ander]

I can't find coconut powder in my area, but I do have plenty of desiccated coconut and coconut milk. Is there any way to substitute either of these for the coconut powder (i.e. blending the desiccated coconut to a fine powder, or just adding coconut milk instead of coconut powder mixed into to single cream)?

Hi Pat,

Yes, if you can't get it, replace the coconut milk powder with desiccated coconut.  The coconut milk powder dissolves whereas the desiccated coconut does not.  Grind the desiccated coconut (into something resembling a powder or "flour") if you prefer a less coarse texture to the dish. 

You can also add some coconut milk (and/or cream) to get the final texture and flavour you want.  Too much coconut milk will probably make the sauce too thin though.

[bmouthboyo]

Lovely Thanks CA





CA Chicken Tikka Masala

[Cory Ander]

Hi BMB,

Once again, thanks for taking all the trouble to try this recipe, take photos, make a video, and to post your results.  A stirling effort! 

I have to say that I'm pretty embarrassed (about this forum) that no other members have even had the courtesy to acknowledge your efforts (particularly regarding your videos)   

[jb]

Apologies just spotted one of the videos on Youtube.Looks a nice tikka massala to me.It must be a regional thing,down here in Essex I've never had corriander served on a massala,maybe a swirl of cream.Looking good though!!!