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Chicken Tikka Masala Meal Prep

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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Calories: 687kcal
Servings: 5 People
Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade -

  • 1 kg Chicken Thigh, Boneless & Skinless Diced
  • 6 Garlic Cloves Grated
  • 10 g Ginger Grated
  • 8 g Kashmiri Chilli Powder
  • 4 g Ground Turmeric
  • 4 g Garam Masala
  • 130 g Natural Greek Yogurt
  • ½ Lemon Juiced
  • 15 ml Peanut Oil
  • Salt & Pepper

Gravy

  • 28 g Ghee Clarified Butter
  • 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Sliced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper (Capsicum) Sliced
  • 2 Garlic Cloves Chopped
  • 10 g Ginger Jullienned
  • 15 g Garam Masala
  • 10 g Whole Cumin Seeds
  • 10 g Ground Coriander
  • 4 g Kashmiri Chilli Powder
  • 300 g Tomato Paste
  • 4 g Sweet Paprika
  • 150 g Natural Greek Yogurt
  • 300 ml Chicken Stock
  • 200 ml Thickened Cream
  • 10 g Coriander (Cilantro) Chopped
  • Salt & Pepper

Turmeric Rice -

  • 300 g Basmati Rice Washed
  • 550 g Chicken Stock
  • 6 g Ground Turmeric
  • 5 g Coriander (Cilantro) Chopped
  • Salt

Method

  • Combine the chicken with all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 48 hours.
  • Place a pan over high heat. Add a splash of spray oil and sear the chicken for 2½ minutes on each side, or until golden — working in batches to avoid steaming it. The chicken won't be fully cooked at this stage; this step is for colour only. Remove and set aside.
  • For the sauce, heat the ghee in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and capsicum and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring regularly, for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  • Add the spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring well. Add the tomato paste and cook for 4 minutes, or until the oil visibly separates.
  • Add the chicken, reserved marinade, and yogurt to the sauce, and cook for 2 minutes at a gentle simmer. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until a thick, deep red gravy has formed that coats a spoon. Add a splash more stock if it reduces too much. Season to taste.
  • Add the cream and most of the chopped coriander. Stir through and cook for 2 minutes to heat through. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the remaining coriander.
  • Place the rice, chicken stock, and ground turmeric in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 4 minutes. Remove the lid, stir through the coriander, and fluff with a fork.
  • Serve the curry and rice in 5 x 750ml meal prep containers.
Chef's Tips
Sear the chicken for colour only, as written — it finishes cooking in the simmering gravy, so oversearing now just dries it out before it's even done.
Cook the tomato paste until the oil visibly separates, the full 4 minutes — this is the marker that it's properly cooked out, and skipping it leaves the gravy tasting sharp and raw.
Let the gravy simmer for the full 25 minutes until it coats a spoon — rushing this step leaves a thin sauce that hasn't developed the depth this dish is built on.
Storage & Reheating
To reheat, warm gently in a pan over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring well as the cream can look slightly separated on first reheating from frozen — it'll come back together with a stir. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving 550gCalories 687kcalCarbohydrates 71gProtein 57gFat 18gSaturated Fat 6gPolyunsaturated Fat 3gMonounsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 202mgSodium 569mgPotassium 1347mgFiber 4gSugar 10gVitamin A 3536IUVitamin C 73mgCalcium 120mgIron 4mg