Chicken Tikka Masala with Naan & Basmati Rice

Indian cuisine meets New Zealand Gewürztraminer

New Zealand wine and a steaming bowl of chicken tikka masala—it’s a combination that may seem surprising at first glance but wins you over with the very first bite. Chicken tikka masala is one of the world’s most popular curries: tender chicken, marinated in yogurt and spices, served in a velvety, spicy tomato sauce with cream that warms you up without being overpowering. Freshly baked naan and fluffy basmati rice turn this dish into a complete meal that transforms the table into a small celebration. This recipe requires a bit of prep time for the marinade, but it rewards you with a depth of flavors you won’t soon forget.

Ideal wine pairing: Seifried Nelson Gewürztraminer (Nelson, New Zealand)

A chicken tikka masala calls for a wine that reflects the floral notes of the masala spices, brightens the creaminess of the sauce, and doesn’t clash with the curry’s heat but gently envelops it—and this Gewürztraminer from the sun-drenched Nelson region achieves exactly that with almost astonishing precision. In the glass, it displays a bright straw-yellow color, and intense aromas rise even with the first swirl: lychee and persimmon, rose petals and white peach, along with a hint of Turkish delight, which gives the wine its unmistakable exotic depth. The grapes come from the unirrigated Redwood Valley on a clay-rich north-facing slope, as well as from the stony Brightwater Vineyard, whose rocky and gravelly soil stores Nelson’s solar heat and lends the Gewürztraminer this special aromatic concentration. On the palate, with 13 g/L of residual sugar, it is pleasantly full-bodied without seeming cloying—the lively acidity of 6.9 g/L keeps everything in balance and elegantly cuts through the richness of the cream sauce. The spicy notes of cumin, coriander, and garam masala find their floral counterpart in the wine, while the dish’s heat is pleasantly rounded out by the Gewürztraminer’s fruity richness. The finish is fragrant, long, and spicy—a wine that proves Nelson is far more than just a picturesque backdrop.

The recipe:

Chicken Tikka Masala with Naan & Basmati Rice

Tender chicken marinated in yogurt, braised in a velvety, spicy tomato-cream sauce, served with freshly baked naan and fluffy basmati rice. Paired with a Gewürztraminer from New Zealand, it makes for an evening full of flavors.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Curing time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course Asian cuisine, Curry

Servings 2 people

Calories 780 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Große Pfanne oder weiter Topf
• 1 Rührschüssel für Marinade
• 1 Backofen oder Grillpfanne für das Hühnchen
• 1 Kochtopf für Basmati
• 1 Stabmixer oder Mixer
• 1 Schneidebrett und Messer
• 1 Backblech mit Backpapier
• 1 Holzlöffel

Ingredients

  

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FOR THE MARINATED CHICKEN:

• 500 g chicken breast fillet cut into bite-sized pieces
• 150 g Vollmilchjoghurt
• 2 Tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon of garam masala
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of paprika smoked
• 1 teaspoon of cumin ground
• 1 teaspoon of cilantro ground
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger grated
• 2 garlic cloves grated
• Salt

FOR THE MASALA SAUCE:

• 1 large onion fein gewürfelt
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger grated
• 400 g Tomatoes chopped (canned)
• 150 ml cream
• 2 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoon of butter or ghee
• 1 TL Garam Masala
• 1 TL Kreuzkümmel
• 1 TL Koriander gemahlen
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• ½ TL Chilipulver to taste
• Salt and sugar to taste
• Fresh coriander to garnish

FOR THE BASMATI:

• 200 g Basmati rice
• 400 ml Wasser
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cardamom pod
• ½ tbsp butter

FOR THE NAAN (SIMPLE VERSION):

• 250 g Type 550 wheat flour
• 150 g Yogurt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• Butter and garlic for brushing

Instructions

 

PREPARATION:

• For the marinade, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, all the spices, ginger, and garlic.
• Place the chicken in the marinade, mix well, cover, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
• To make the naan dough, knead the flour, yogurt, baking powder, salt, and oil into a soft dough, then let it rest for 30 minutes.

COOKING STEPS:

• Preheat the oven to 220 °C on the broil setting.
• Das marinierte Hühnchen auf einem mit Backpapier belegten Blech verteilen und 10–12 Minuten grillen, bis es leicht gebräunt und durchgegart ist. Beiseitestellen.
• For the sauce, melt the butter in a pan and sauté the onions over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until golden brown.
• Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Stir in all the spices and sauté for 1 minute, until they release their aroma.
• Stir in the tomato paste, then add the chopped tomatoes and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Puree the sauce until smooth using an immersion blender, then stir in the cream and let it simmer gently for another 5 minutes.
• Add the grilled chicken to the sauce and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Season with salt and a pinch of sugar.
• For the basmati rice, rinse it, bring it to a boil with water, salt, cardamom, and butter, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it sit for 12 minutes.
• For the naan, divide the dough into 4 portions, roll them out thinly, and cook in a dry, very hot skillet for 2 minutes per side until bubbles form.
• Brush with melted garlic butter.

SERVE:

• Serve the basmati rice in deep plates or bowls.
• Spoon the chicken tikka masala generously over or next to it.
• Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
• Serve the warm naan separately in a cloth or basket.

SIDE DISHES:

• Mango Chutney
• Raita (yogurt with cucumber and mint)
• Pickled red onions

Nutrition

Calories: 780kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 72gFat: 28g

Keyword Bake your own naan, Basmati rice, Chicken Tikka Masala, Gewürztraminer Curry, Indian curry, Tikka Masala Recipe, Wine from New Zealand, Wine pairings for Indian cuisine

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