Chicken Tikka Masala (Mild)

⏱ Prep: 15 min🔥 Cook: 30 min⏰ Total: 45 min🍽 Serves 5-6
Toddler tip: Heat is dialed back — only ¼ tsp Kashmiri chili total. Cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces and serve with torn naan for dipping.
Low-carb fork: Serve over cauliflower rice and skip the naan. Family gets basmati rice + naan.

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

  • 1.5 lbsboneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cupplain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1½ tbspgarlic, minced (from pre-peeled bag)
  • 1 tbspfresh ginger, minced
  • 2 tspgaram masala
  • 1 tspturmeric
  • 1 tspground cumin
  • ¼ tspKashmiri chili powder (mild)
  • 1 tspsalt

Sauce

  • 2 tbspvegetable oil
  • 2 tbspbutter
  • 2 smallyellow onions, finely diced
  • 1½ tbspgarlic, finely grated
  • 1 tbspfresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1½ tspgaram masala
  • 1½ tspground cumin
  • 1 tspturmeric
  • 1 tspground coriander
  • 14 oztomato puree
  • ¼ tspKashmiri chili powder (keep mild)
  • 1 tspsalt
  • 1¼ cupsheavy cream
  • 1 tspbrown sugar
  • ¼ cupfresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)

To serve

  • 2 cupsbasmati rice (uncooked)
  • 1 pkgnaan (Stonefire brand)

Instructions

1Marinate: Combine chicken with all marinade ingredients. Cover and rest at least 10 min (overnight is better).
2Sear: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear chicken in batches, ~3 min per side until browned. Transfer to a plate and cover.
3Sauce base: Melt butter in the same skillet. Sauté onions ~3 min until soft. Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 min until fragrant.
4Bloom spices: Stir in garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and coriander; cook ~20 sec.
5Tomato: Add tomato puree, mild chili powder, and salt. Simmer 10-15 min, stirring, until deep red and thick.
6Finish: Stir in cream and brown sugar. Return chicken (and juices) to pan; simmer 8-10 min until cooked through and bubbling. Splash water if too thick.
7Serve: Garnish with cilantro. Basmati rice + naan for the family; cauliflower rice fork for Cam.