About the Recipe
Blend No.1
A British favourite, this mild, creamy curry is a national treasure. Allegedly invented in Glasgow to satisfy a customer request, the Indian chef combined Chicken Tikka with cream, ketchup and house curry sauce. Tikka Masala was born. It has come a long way since then but here is an easy to cook classic.
METHOD
1. STEP
Prepare your ingredients.
2. STEP
In a bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of Tikka Masala with 2 teaspoons of water.
3. STEP
Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 150ml of yoghurt.
4. STEP
Add the chicken, mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge for a minimum of one hour.
5. STEP
When ready, place the chicken on a baking tray and cook in the oven at 200°C/ gas
6. STEP
After 15-20, take the chicken from the oven and leave to rest. While waiting, make a start on the sauce.
7. STEP
To make the sauce, add the oil or ghee to a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden brown.
8. STEP
Add one teaspoon of the Tikka Spice mix and continue to stir with the onions for a few minutes.
9. STEP
Add the passata or chopped tomatoes and bring to boil, stirring continuously. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
10. STEP
Add the chicken and any remaining marinade left on the tray. Bring the sauce back to a simmer over a medium heat.
11. STEP
Add the cream. Turn up the heat for 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce.
12. STEP
Serve and enjoy with rice and naan bread.
INGREDIENTS
4 medium chicken breasts - diced
150ml plain yoghurt
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp SpiceMasters Tikka Masala mix
1 medium onion – finely diced
2 tbsp of oil or ghee
200ml passata or a tin of chopped tomatoes
100ml double cream
Typical Nutritional Content
What is Tikka Spice?
Tikka is a unique word with several meanings. Tikka is a series of dishes of Indian inspiration, and it’s also the name given to the spices that season these dishes. Tikka might come from the Turkic word “tikkü,” which means ‘bits and pieces,’ and it makes sense. We’ve known marinated boneless chunks of meat seasoned with spices as tikka since the Middle Ages.
Tikka is also a synonym for comforting, fragrant food with immense depth of flavour. Famous dishes like the chicken tikka have won hearts internationally, and it’s all thanks to a unique blend of spices. This is what you need to know about Spice Master’s Tikka Spice, its main ingredients, how it interacts with other flavors and what you can do with it!
The History of Tikka Spices
The first meat and vegetable dishes seasoned with something similar to what we call tikka today go back to ancient Babylon, dating to at least 1700 BCE. This means spicy grilled and roasted food not dissimilar to what we enjoy today is almost 4,000 years old! Spice blends have always made even the most uncomplicated dishes fit for royalty, and that’s particularly true for tikka.
Tikka became a prominent type of food in India during the Mughal Dynasty (1526 to 1857), the authentic Golden Age for Indian culture and cuisine. It wasn’t until the Indian War of Independence and the British intervention that the Mughal empire gave in. At the same time, the extraordinary flavours of India found their way to the West, and reached us.
Today, we use tikka for any dish made of small bits of meat or vegetables coated in a spicy sauce or curry. And although the recipes for tikka might contain a wide variety of proteins, yoghurt, clarified butter and tomatoes, it’s the spices that give the food its exotic feel.
The entire world has an affair with spicy Indian flavours, but the British are particularly fond of spicy food. Chicken tikka and paneer tikka are amongst everyone’s favourite foods and not only foreign foods, but overall. There’s no doubt tikka is thrilling, but the spice blend’s versatility will surprise you.
How to use Tikka Spices
The easiest way of using Blend Master’s Tikka Spices is by combining them with yoghurt and incorporating the mixture with minced onions sautéed in ghee, then tossed with tender chicken for an authentic homemade chicken tikka masala.
Tikka spices are also a fantastic rub for skewers and roasts and are compatible with roasted vegetables and paneer. Vegetarian and vegan food is deliciously compatible with the exotic spice blend.
If that weren’t enough, tikka spices can add personality to fish and seafood dishes, rice, legumes, soups and stews! Any food can benefit from the artistic blend of Indian spices.
Tikka Spices, Explained
The tikka spice blend is one of the most complicated on the planet. Blending its elements yourself would prove to be a complex task, as many of its elements fight for attention and overwhelm others. A balanced tikka spice blend is all about harmony.
1. Coriander
Coriander seeds are used all around India for their intense flavour and alleged health benefits. In India, this spice is called dhania and is one of the leading flavours in tikka.
2. Garlic
Garlic is native to Central Asia and Iran, and it has been used for ages in India. Roasted or fried garlic cloves are essential ingredients in curries and stews.
3. Turmeric
The yellow, almost golden spice is a chief pigment in Indian cooking. The ground rhizome is traditional in Ayurveda medicine as well. Some experts believe the Southeast Asian spice has been part of Indian cooking for 4,000 years.
4. Mustard
Mustard seeds share scents with curry leaves, making them ideal for Indian cooking. Used sparingly, a little goes a long way with the tiny seeds.
5. Paprika
Mild paprika is a common addition to yoghurt dishes in India. Spicy paprika is used in grilled, meaty preparations. Paprika also adds flavour to a wide range of recipes.
6. Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is incredibly similar to traditional Indian red peppers, and it’s also used in Ayurvedic medicines. The bright powder gives Indian food colour and flavour.
7. Cardamom
Cardamom is widely grown in India, where it’s known as Elaichi. One of the most used spices of the ancient world, cardamom adds a distinct scent and flavour to food, from fried rice biryani to curries.
8. Kaffir Lime
Curries, chutneys, fish or soups. Any dish benefits from the unique citrus aroma in Kaffir lime leaves. It’s also essential in curry pastes, primarily when used for lamb dishes.
9. Onion
There’s nothing onions can’t do, and together with garlic, they’re the aromatic base to almost all the most famous dishes in the world. Pungent but sweet, powdered onion adds depth of flavour to any dish.
10. Ginger
The fragrant Southeast Asian rhizome is essential in all curries, where it shares a special place with garlic. Indian ginger is considered superior to other varieties for its aromatic complexity and mild pungency.
11. Celery Salt
Celery seeds and salt are flavour enhancers. This handy ingredient brings together all the different spices and balances any sauce seasoned with the spice blend.
12. Black Pepper
Indian cooks use black pepper a lot as a flavour enhancer. Black pepper is used in masala and tikka alike and plays a role in dishes from land and sea.
Tikka Spices, Winning Hearts All Around the World
There’s no doubt the balanced combination of spices in Spice Master’s Tikka Blend is the secret ingredient behind the tastiest chicken tikka masala, vegetarian curries and many other colourful preparations.
Tikka is much more than curry; it’s a world of flavour that will help you liven soups stews, stir-fries, rice, chicken, fish and grilled meat. There’s nothing a few tablespoons of the colourful spice blend can’t do, and you’ll surely add it to everything! From lunch to dinner, tikka spices will change the way you cook, in a good way.