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.
1red chilli pepperseeds removed and roughly chopped
2cmpiece of fresh gingerpeeled and minced
2teaspoongaram masala
1teaspoonhot paprikaor paprika
1teaspoonground coriander
½teaspooncumin seedsor ground cumin
1tablespoonoil
1tablespoontomato puree
30gfresh corianderchopped including stems
Pinchof 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
Notes
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.How to store? 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.How to use tikka masala paste? 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.Can you buy tikka masala paste? 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.Is there a difference between tikka and tikka masala? Tikka usually means pieces of marinated meat cooked in a tandoor or grilled. Tikka masala uses the marinated meat in a curry sauce.