Spicy Chicken Tikka Masala?

Among many varieties of chicken dishes, chicken tikka masala is one. It is one of the most popular Indian dishes that is familiarized by British and other parts of the world. Want to prepare it? Then have a look on its preparation.

Ingredients Required
6 chicken thigh pieces without bones

Ingredients for gravy

• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste

Marinade ingredients

• 6 tablespoons of yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 2 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (garam masala)
• 4-5 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Chicken tikka masala is prepared in two steps including the gravy and tikka parts. Cut the chicken into smaller pieces and drain any remained water. Add all the marinade ingredients to it and mix it well. It has to be left in the fridge overnight. Then it is grilled on hot grill to golden brown. Baste oil or butter frequently to make sure that the chicken is remained tender and moist.

Starting with the gravy part, heat oil and add ginger, garlic paste. Add some fried chopped onions. Caramelizing the onions by keeping heat high enhances the flavor of the dish. Once the onions are fried, add chopped tomatoes and allow them to fry on medium heat. Then add cumin and coriander powder. Then sugar and salt are added and mixed properly. Later, chicken pieces are added to it. Allow it to fry on low heat for five minutes. Once it is done, increase the heat to high and add milk slowly by continuous stirring. Once the gravy is prepared with right consistency, you should reduce the heat to low. You can garnish it with coriander and cheese and serve with fluffy boiled rice and mixed leaf salad.

Spices and Their Uses in Cooking

Spices are the various parts of the plants which are added to the dishes to enhance flavor, taste and aroma. Spices are usually added in little amounts. Any cuisine, irrespective of its nativity makes use of spices in the preparation. In many restaurants, the prices of the dishes are decided by the variety of spices included in the dishes. There are many rare and exotic species of spices which are very expensive but give a unique flavor to the dish. Different varieties of dishes require different varieties of spices. Spices are used in the preparation of dishes according to the flavor they add. The flavors given by spices are categorized as hot, mild, delicate and sweet. Hot flavored spices are mostly used in preparing spicy non vegetarian dishes. Mild flavored are used in our daily diets and confectioneries, and delicate and sweet flavors are used in preparation of desserts. Let us know about some of the spices and their usage in cooking of various delicacies.

• Cardamon: Cardamon is found to have a mild flavor and is added in sweet delicacies and breads.
• Cloves: This spice has got strong flavor and aroma. It is used in the cooking of pork, lamb and desserts. It is also used in preparation of cookies and cranberry juice.
• Dill: Dill is found to have a pungent flavor. It is used in the preparation of Veal pork Spareribs, Chicken Salad, Lamb Stew, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Egg dishes, Pickles Butter sauce, Fish dishes, etc.
• Ginger: Ginger is found to have slight warm and sweet flavor. It is used in pot roast, pickles, whipped cream, fruit salad, vegetable soups, beef casseroles, preserves, cakes, etc.
• Basil: It has a sweet and pungent flavor and used in dressing of salads and soups. It is also used in preparation of broiled and roasted meat and poultry.
• Mustard: It has a pungent and earthy flavor. It is used in preparation of food items made with pork, meat, ham and beef. It is also used in relishes, sauces, dressings and pickles.
• Pepper: It has got a very strong hot flavor and is used in preparation of meat and sea foods.
• Turmeric: Turmeric is used as a coloring agent of butter, cheese, rice and curries.