Chef John's Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is usually made with heavy cream, but I like to use coconut milk instead; its subtle sweetness works beautifully with the spices in the dish. Serve with steamed rice.
skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 ½
pounds
vegetable oil
1
tablespoon
kosher salt
2
teaspoons
garam masala
2
teaspoons
ground cumin
2
teaspoons
ground coriander
1
teaspoon
smoked paprika
1
teaspoon
ground turmeric
1
teaspoon
ground black pepper
½
teaspoon
cayenne pepper
¼
teaspoon
ground cardamom
⅛
teaspoon
clarified butter (ghee), or more as needed
2
tablespoons
onion, chopped
1
tomato paste
¼
cup
garlic, finely grated
4
cloves
finely grated ginger, or more to taste
1
tablespoon
crushed tomatoes
1
cup
coconut milk
1
(13 ounce) can
chicken broth, or as needed
½
cup
chopped fresh cilantro
2
tablespoons
red pepper flakes
½
teaspoon
salt and ground black pepper to taste
 Gather all ingredients. Place chicken in a bowl. Drizzle vegetable oil over chicken; toss to coat.
  Whisk together salt, garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken and turn to coat evenly.
  Melt clarified butter in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Cook chicken thighs in hot butter until browned on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  Make sauce: Place the skillet with chicken drippings over medium-high heat. Stir onion into the skillet; sauté until onion softens and turns translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until paste caramelizes, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic and ginger into tomato-onion mixture; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  Pour crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend and sauce is slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
  Stir chicken and any accumulated juices into sauce. Add cilantro and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken is cooked through and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
