Homemade tikka masala paste made with ground spices and fresh herbs. This easy to make tikka curry paste is great to have handy in the fridge, ready for your next impromptu curry night. Its fresh and aromatic and whizzed together in just 10 minutes.
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👩🏻🍳 Why make this recipe
I love to make my own pastes for all my curries, you just can't beat the sweet and spicy aromas of fresh curry paste hitting the surface of a hot pan. Use this tikka masala curry paste recipe to make a chicken marinade for this amazing chicken tikka masala curry.
Theres also a whole world of pastes to explore once you've mastered making this one (see links below)! I also love to make my own biryani masala marinade for a tasty homemade fish biryani.
🥘 Ingredients
To make a small jar of tikka masala curry paste you will need:
Ingredient notes
Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.
Fresh ginger: Use fresh ginger if you can get hold of it. If not, a teaspoon of ginger paste, jarred ginger or ground ginger will work just fine.
Fresh garlic: Fresh garlic cloves will give the best flavour for this tikka paste, but a teaspoon of jarred or granulated garlic could be used instead.
Red chilli pepper: The chillies used here will ultimately determine how hot your curry is. So if you like it spicy then use hotter chillies. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger red chillies for a milder flavour. If you would prefer no spice at all then just replace the chillies with red bell pepper (capsicum).
Coriander: Coriander is a great flavour in tikka masala paste and so I don't recommend that you substitute or leave it out. This recipe uses both fresh and ground coriander for full flavour and a burst of colour.
Tikka masala spices: Cumin, garam masala and paprika are used in this recipe as the base for this tikka paste. I recommend using at least these spices and for a little extra flavour try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and turmeric.
🔪 Step by step instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a small blender.
- Add just 1 tablespoon of oil to begin with, more can be added as required.
- Start the blender and blend until the ingredients start to come together into a paste.
- If the blender has trouble getting going add another half tablespoon of oil of tomato puree. then after this add small amounts of tap water in between blending, until you are happy with the consistency.
- Once completely blended the paste can be used immediately as a marinade. Mix 2 tablespoons of the tikka masala paste with 120ml of plain yogurt. Then cover raw or leftover cooked chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Alternatively you can jar up the paste and keep in the fridge for up to a month.
💭 Expert tips
Scaling this recipe: The ingredients for this recipe will make around 6 tablespoons of tikka paste (one small 110ml jar). To make more just increase the amounts of ingredients.
Consistency of the tikka paste: Make sure to only add small amount of water in between blending (½ a tablespoon at a time) otherwise your paste will be too thin.
Spicy tikka paste: For an extra kick add a few drops of Tabasco or a teaspoon of hot chilli powder.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Once made, tikka masala paste can be transferred to a jar and kept in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I like to mix this tikka paste with plain yogurt to create a beautiful marinade for sliced chicken breasts. The marinaded chicken can then be used in this tasty chicken tikka masala curry. But of course you could use any meat or fish. Also use as a marinade for vegetables to make a vegetarian curry. Or if you don't have time to make a paste, check out my quick chicken and almond curry.
If you prefer you can just buy a jar of paste from the supermarket. Sometimes a jar of paste and a packet of microwave rice are just the ticket on a busy weekday night. That said, if I have the time and where-with-all to get out my blender and chop up a few ingredients, then I most certainly will. Not only does homemade curry paste taste amazing but the fragrant aromas that fill the kitchen are just too good to miss.
Tikka usually means pieces of marinated meat cooked in a tandoor or grilled. Tikka masala uses the marinated meat in a curry sauce.
🍛 Other easy homemade curry pastes
If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Tikka Masala Paste
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 red chilli pepper seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 2 cm piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika or paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 30 g fresh coriander chopped including stems
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a small blender.2 garlic cloves, 1 red chilli pepper, 2 cm piece of fresh ginger, 2 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon hot paprika, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 30 g fresh coriander, Pinch of sea salt
- Add just 1 tablespoon of oil to begin with, more can be added as required.1 tablespoon oil
- Start the blender and blend until the ingredients start to come together into a paste.
- If the blender has trouble getting going add another half tablespoon of oil of tomato puree. Then after this add small amounts of tap water in between blending, until you are happy with the consistency.
- Once completely blended the paste can be used immediately as a marinade. Mix 2 tablespoons of the tikka masala paste with 120ml of plain yogurt. Then cover raw or leftover cooked chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Alternatively you can jar up the paste and keep in the fridge for up to a month.
Video
Nutrition
Notes
This post was first published in Aug 2016. Updated in Sept 2021 with an improved photos, and new step by step instructions and expert tips.
emma
Love this paste and have never brought a curry paste since trying this recipe. I make a large batch then freeze it in an ice cube tray, each time I need paste I use one cube from frozen as and when needed and always enjoy the fresh taste
Debbie
Hi Emma! Thanks so much for your comment - so pleased to hear that you are enjoying the paste. Freezing in an ice cube tray is a great idea 🙂 Debbie x
Alison Cardwell
Thank you so much for this recipe, it's so nice to make a paste from scratch rather than buying it pre-made in a jar. This is going straight to my recipe folder, love it! I'm using the paste in a Jamie Oliver recipe where he actually uses a bought tikka paste and I just thought, no I'm going to make my own. So quick and easy I just blended it all in my spice/coffee grinder. I used coconut oil rather than walnut oil.
Debbie
thanks for your lovely comment Alison - so glad to hear that this recipe has been helpful for you 🙂 And fab that its going in your recipe folder 😉 Great idea to use your coffee grinder!! Ive never thought to do that!! 🙂
Kelly
Hi how many portions does one small jar use please? And could I use dried coriander and garlic paste instead of fresh?
Debbie Jones
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for your question. Yes you could definitely replace the garlic clove with garlic paste, this shouldn't make any difference. However, for the coriander the recipe already uses 1 tsp of dried coriander, the fresh was just to add extra flavour and a hint of green to the paste. If you don't have any fresh coriander to hand then I would just leave it out completely. Replacing with more dried coriander would be too overpowering and wouldn't have the same flavour as fresh.
In terms of portions, I recommending using 3 tsp of tikka paste when making a tikka masala curry for 4 people. 1 small jar should therefore be enough to make 4 batches of curry (each batch serving 4 people).
Hope this helps and makes sense. Any further questions please do let me know 🙂
Thanks,
Debbie
Jana
I just eye balled the amounts and the paste and subsequently tikka masala curry turned out absolutely flipping amazing. I will be freezing the paste in stock cube moulds to have it at hand just like another person suggested here. Thank you very much!
Debbie Jones
Hi Jana, So pleased to hear that this turned out so well for you. And yes, freezing in cube moulds is a fantastic idea. Hope it gives you plenty of yummy curry meals 🙂 If you get chance I would be extremely grateful if you could add a star rating to your comment. Many thanks, Debbie x
Amber Golden
Omg I’m doing the same recipe!!! Hope it was good.
Melanie
Can you freeze this recipe too?
Debbie
Hi Melanie! Yes you can!! Keeps well in the freezer for at least 3 months 🙂
Corina
It looks amazing - I just love the photography too! I really need to make my own curry paste to keep in the fridge rather than just a little each time I need it. Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
Debbie
Thanks Corina!! yes its definitely a good thing to have handy in the fridge - makes a last minute curry night really straight forward 🙂
applytofaceblog
I feel completely inspired! Fab photos and this sounds like something I should definitely have in my fridge.
Debbie
Thank you Jen!! Yes this is sooooo handy to have in the fridge - or even the freezer if you want to preserve it for a little longer 😀
applytofaceblog
I didn't know you could!Thankyou x