Restaurant style Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

For marination:

400 gms chicken  (boneless or with bone chicken pieces)

1 tbsp Tandoori chicken masala

1 tbsp Shahi biryani Masala

1tsp Kashmiri red chili pow (I use Everest's Kashmiri red chili powder))

Lemon juice from ½ lemon 

1 cup hung curd 

Pinches of turmeric

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp refined oil

Ingredients for gravy:

2 tbsps refined oil

1 bay leaf

2 black cardomoms

3 green cardamom

3 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick 

2 medium onion paste

1 medium tomato paste

1 tsp ginger garlic paste 

1/2 tsp red chili powder(Degi mirch powder)

Pinches of turmeric

Pinches of salt

¼ cup cream or you can use paste of 6-8 almonds & 2-4 cashew nuts in 1/4 cup milk

Method:

Wash chicken pieces thoroughly, drain the water completely, pat dry.

Mix all the marination ingredients and marinate the chicken and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs. I refrigerate overnight!

Preheat your oven at 180 degree C & keep a oven proof tray with 2 cups of water under the grill tray(this water can be used during the preparation of the gravy).

Roast the chicken pieceswith marinade just coating the pieces for 10 minutes one side & then turn the side & roast for 5 minutes.

Keep the remaining marinade to make the gravy.

Wait till the oven is cooled down.

For gravy:

Heat oil & temper with bay leaf & whole garam masala.

Add onion paste when the garam masala starts to splutter.

Cook till the paste becomes dry & now add tomato paste,ginger-garlic paste & cook till oil separates.

Add the remaining marinade,turmeric,salt,chili powder & remaining water of the grill tray.

Add the grilled chicken pieces when the gravy starts boiling.

Cook till the gravy starts boiling.

Add the cream/almond-cashew paste & cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve hot with Tandoori roti/Paratha or Naan.