Easy Creamy Lamb Tikka Masala Recipes

EASY LAMB TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl, add the diced lamb and stir to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 10 minutes (if that's all you've got) or up to 2 hours if you have the time. (If marinating for more than 10 minutes, cover and return to the fridge.)
• Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F.
• Place the oil, onions and red pepper in a large, wide saucepan or large frying pan and cook gently with the lid on for 5 minutes or until softened. Turn the heat up and add the lamb (including all of the marinade), passata, coconut milk and ground almonds (optional), and bring to the boil.
• Put a lid on the pan and place in your preheated oven, if using an ovenproof saucepan. (If your saucepan is not ovenproof, transfer the curry to an ovenproof dish with a lid and then place in the oven.) Cook the curry in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and stir in the remaining garam masala and fresh coriander (cilantro).
• Serve with rice and/or naan bread.

LAMB TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Special Equipment: Chimney starter, newspaper, vegetable oil, 4 pounds natural lump charcoal, and metal skewers
• Combine 1 tablespoon of the garam masala, 1 teaspoon of the salt, cumin, coriander, and pepper in a 1-gallon resealable bag. Seal and shake the bag to combine. Add the lamb and shake to coat. Add the yogurt to the bag, seal and squish to coat. Refrigerate the bag in a leak proof container for 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Spritz 4 to 5 pieces of newspaper with vegetable oil and put in the bottom of a charcoal chimney starter. Fill the chimney with half of the charcoal and light the newspaper.
• When the charcoal is lightly covered with gray ash, carefully pour it onto the bottom grate of a kettle grill and spread evenly. Top with the remaining unlit charcoal, spreading evenly so as not to suffocate the lit charcoal. Set the second grate in the kettle and cover until ready to cook.
• Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium-high, until it shimmers and almost begins to smoke. Add the onion and remaining teaspoon of salt, and cook until the onion is browned around the edges, 11 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, ginger and chile. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions have softened and browned completely, approximately 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of garam masala and stir several times to coat.
• Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have reduced slightly and deepened in color, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the lamb from the yogurt mixture, leaving as much yogurt on the meat as possible. Thread the pieces of lamb, 1/4-inch apart, onto the skewers. Grill until the yogurt has slightly charred or blackened, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the lamb from the skewers. Add the lamb and coconut milk to the tomato mixture and stir to combine and heat through. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with mint or cilantro and serve over basmati rice.
• Combine all of the seeds, peppercorns, cloves, chile, and cinnamon in an 8-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, moving the pan constantly, until you smell the cumin toasting, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the mixture to a plate and spread out to cool for 5 minutes.
• Once cool, add the toasted mixture and nutmeg into a spice grinder. Process until a fine powder is formed, approximately 1 minute. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

EASY CREAMY LAMB TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Combine 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cumin, coriander, and pepper in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Toss the spices around to combine. Add lamb and shake to coat. Add yogurt, seal bag, and massage meat to coat. Transfer bag to refrigerator and marinate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium. Add onion and remaining teaspoon salt and cook until softened and starting to brown, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, serrano, and ginger; cook stirring frequently until onions are softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon garam masala, remaining teaspoon cumin, and cardamom; cook 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them (or use your kitchen shears to cut them in the can). Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring frequently and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until thickened and deepened in color, 15-20 minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer until thickened, 5-7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to broil (high) with rack set in upper middle position Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange lamb on rack in a single layer (don't scrape marinade off). Broil lamb until starting to char, 10-12 minutes.
• Add lamb to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lamb is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve with rice, cilantro, and naan if desired.

NEXT LEVEL TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the chicken and slash each thigh two or three times. Put into a bowl or plastic container and toss with the lime juice and ½ tsp salt. Set aside while you make the marinade.
• In a small food processor, blitz the ginger and garlic to make a paste, adding a splash of water if needed. Set aside half of the paste for the sauce. Tip the remaining marinade ingredients into the food processor, then blitz to a smooth paste. Pour the paste over the chicken and marinate for at least 4 hrs (overnight or 24 hrs is even better).
• To make the sauce, heat 2 tbsp of the ghee or butter in a large shallow pan with a lid. Cook the onions for 15 mins over a medium heat until starting to brown. Add the spices and remaining garlic and ginger paste, and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the tomato purée, ground almonds, a pinch of sugar and vinegar. Cook for about 1 min. Pour in the passata, then fill the jar or carton halfway up with water and add this too. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 2-3 hrs until you have a thick, red sauce. Can be kept chilled in the fridge for up to 48 hrs while you marinate the chicken.
• Set the grill to its highest setting. Lift the chicken from the marinade, wiping off any excess back into the dish and reserve for the sauce. Arrange the chicken on a large baking tray cut-side up. Put under the grill for 10-15 mins until charred and starting to blacken. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside with the cooking juices. Reheat the sauce, adding the reserved marinade, then tip the chicken and any pan juices with the crème fraîche or cream into the curry sauce. Cook for 40 mins until the chicken is completely tender. Stir the remaining butter or ghee in at the end.
• Leave the curry to sit for a few mins, then season with the garam masala and smoked salt, if using. Sprinkle with coriander and flaked almonds, then serve with naan bread and rice, if you like.