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A white bowl containing, lamb tikka with masala curry sauce and coriander.

Easy Lamb Tikka Masala

Indian restaurant style lamb tikka masala recipe made with grilled tender lamb pieces cooked in aromatic masala sauce. Made everything from scratch with simple pantry-friendly ingredients. Serve with plain rice, naan, or chapati. Incredibly delicious!
5 from 17 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British Indian, Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Marinate Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 522kcal
Author: Khin

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot to cook the curry
  • Grill pan, skillet, or oven to grill the marinated lamb

Ingredients

Lamb and Marinade

  • 600 gram Boneless lamb (About 21 oz) lamb leg, shoulder, sirloin, Cut into medium bite-size pieces
  • 1 tbsp Garlic paste
  • ½ tbsp Ginger paste
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Chilli powder
  • 1 tsp Garam masala
  • 3 tbsp Yoghurt
  • 1 tsp Salt

For Masala Curry

  • 3-4 Shallot onions Or brown onions, finely chopped
  • 250 gram Tomato passata ( About 8.8 oz ) Or finely chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Garlic paste
  • ½ tbsp Ginger paste
  • 6 tbsp Double cream Divided into half
  • 3 tbsp Ghee
  • 2 tbsp Cooking oil vegetable or neutral flavour oil
  • tsp Salt
  • cup Water Add warm water. ( add more water if needed )
  • Handful Coriander

Spices

  • 1 tsp Chilli powder Paprika powder
  • ½ tsp Turmeric
  • tsp Garam masala
  • ½ tsp Cumin powder Zeera or Jeera powder
  • ½ tsp Coriander powder Ground coriander seeds

Instructions

Lamb Marinade and Grill

  • Marinate the lamb pieces with turmeric, chilli powder, yoghurt, salt, garam masala, garlic paste, and ginger. Combine everything well, cover with cling flim and let it marinate for at least 1 hour. You can also leave it in the fridge overnight.
    If you have more time you can leave more hours or leave it in the fridge overnight.
  • Grill the marinated lamb over the gill, grill pan, skillet, or in the oven over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes or until charred on both sides. Remove from heat and set them aside.

Cook Tikka Masala Sauce

  • Heat oil and ghee in the heavy bottom pot to medium heat. Add onions and sautee for 1-2 minutes until translucent. Add ginger, garlic paste and continue stir until the onions are brown.
  • Next add the tomato passata and cook until the tomato change colour and oil separates. Add turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir it well for a few seconds.
  • Pour in water and 3tbsp double cream. Season with salt to taste and bring it to simmer.
  • Placed the grilled lamb back in the sauce, close the lid and cook with low-medium heat for one and half hours or until the meat is tender. Stir occasionally and add more warm water if needed.
  • Add the rest of cream and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in chopped coriander.
  • Serve with basmati rice, naan, or chapati.

Notes

  • Lamb - Use lamb leg, lamb shoulder, rump, or sirloin with a bit of fat. Trim out excess fat and cut into medium-bite size pieces. 
  • Do not skip the lamb marinating process as it is the key step to achieving a tender and flavourful result. 
  • Yoghurt - Use plain natural yoghurt to marinate the lamb. It helps the meat tenderize the keep the meat moist and juicy. 
  • Shallot - We love to use shallot onions as they are less in moisture and easy to melt in the curry sauce. 
  • Tomato - I used tomato passata in this recipe, you can also use finely chopped fresh ripened tomatoes. 
  • Chilli powder - If you are making mild/kid-friendly curry, you can add paprika instead of hot chilli powder. 
  • How to store and reheat? This curry is great for meal prep and fridge and freezer friendly. Once it is completely cooled down, you can store it in the freezer-safe container and freeze it in the fridge. It usually lasts in the fridge for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until piping hot before serving. If the curry sauce is too thick, stir in water before reheating. 

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 1612mg | Potassium: 866mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 965IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 5mg
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