This is not one for the korma or butter chicken crowd. It’s for those chasing maximum taste. Those that aren’t scared of a little fire. It doesn’t have to be super spicy. But nobody will ever call it bland either. Try to imagine. Chicken tikka. Little tandoori chicken bites. The haunting aroma of naga chili. Wrapped up in a crazy tasty sauce spiked with a bit of green chili. Flavour on flavour on flavour. Naga chicken tikka curry is definitely spicier than most on glebekitchen. Not unbearably hot as written. But it does pack a punch. You’ve been warned.
Naga chili pickle is the secret ingredient
Naga chili – or naga morich – is one seriously hot chili. Sits at the way high end of the Scoville scale. A superhot. It deserves respect. A little goes a long way. You may be wondering why anyone sane would cook with them. That’s a reasonable question. I’m glad you asked. Even if you didn’t ask. Pretend. Humour me. Indians make a pickle with them. Still crazy hot. But with a taste unto itself. And an incredible aroma. If you’ve ever tasted naga pickle you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a bit of magic. For chili heads anyway. Once you get your jar of naga pickle home resist the urge to taste it. First time I got some I did. I had to. I’m nuts that way. Naga pickle is really hot. But really delicious. Do as I say. Not as I do. Seriously. Not a good idea. Very hot.
More is better
This recipe is a bit of a catch 22. Which isn’t fair. I know. The recommended amount is quite spicy. But it has that naga flavour. The high end gets into chili head territory. And you can go higher. If you can take it. The heat builds but that wonderful naga flavour does too. I start at 1/2 tsp. Just starting to get enough naga flavour. And the heat is well inside my comfort zone. Spicy. For sure. But not insane. I build from there. A little bit at a time. I push it to the high end of comfortable on any given day. Because I love naga. Everyone’s different. So start low and creep up on it. And decide whether you want the taste of green chili. Leave it out and you can add more naga pickle. That one is a tough call. For me anyway. I love green chili.
There’s an easy way to make chicken tikka
This is a cheat. An easy way to make chicken tikka. Not up to the flavour of no-holds-barred chicken tikka I usually make. But much simpler. And it works really well in a curry. It’s a simple marinade. Just some spices, oil and a bit of naga chili pickle. Yes. More naga pickle. Next time you make chicken tikka try that. It’s a nice touch. Roast the chicken on a metal baking pan in a 400F oven. That’s pretty much it. No grill. No skewers. And no fuss. Just fast, easy chicken tikka. I do miss the charcoal smoke though. Nothing beats that grilled flavour. There’s one little trick that adds even more flavour. When the chicken comes out of the oven put it in a bowl. Drizzle a little of the oil and rendered chicken juices from the pan over it. Grab a little of that chicken infused spiced oil flavour for your naga chicken tikka curry. Never waste those bits of flavour. The little things matter. They add up. I’m not going to put this in the recipe. It’s a little bonus for those of you reading this. Our little secret. And the portion of chicken is generous. Probably 3 thighs is actually about right. But you are going to snack. I know. I can never help myself either. Not sure anyone can. So there’s a chicken tikka snack buffer built into the recipe. If you can refrain the worst thing that happens is you have lots of chicken in your curry.
Indian restaurant hotel style is a little different
This naga chicken tikka curry is a little different from the regular Indian restaurant style curries on glebekitchen. Different in a very good way. A whole new way. The curry gravy is the thing here. It’s not the same as the curry base I usually use. It’s tailor made for big bold curries. Like this naga chicken tikka curry. You still make it ahead of time. And you can still freeze it in restaurant sized portions. Ready to use on demand. But hotel gravy is all about deeply browned onions. To deliver that deep, satisfying flavour. Loads of Maillard reaction. Umami galore. That’s why it’s special. And it’s not messy. Major added bonus. You don’t fry the hotel style curry gravy hard. The onions are pre-browned. No more droplets of clothing destroying curry flying everywhere.
Naga chicken tikka curry is for the chili head in you
I keep things medium spicy on glebekitchen. Almost all the time. I like a nice balance of heat and flavour. It’s always flavour first here. This one is trickier. To get the flavour you need to add the heat. There’s no way around it. It doesn’t have to be incendiary. Unless you want it to be. Two teaspoons of naga will light almost anyone’s fire. Seriously hot. If you are a true chilihead, imagine the tastiest chicken tikka masala you’ve never had. That’s the dilemma here. More heat. More flavour. It’s a tough call. Sorry to do this to you. But it’s also a matter of degree. Doesn’t really matter how much you add. As long as you add some. After that, it’s just gets more delicious. If you can take the heat, that is.
