An Edible Mosaic™

Everyday Fare With Extraordinary Flair

Lamb Tikka Masala

by Faith 33 Comments

Richly spiced and creamy with tender meat, this Lamb Tikka Masala will have you making Indian food at home on the regular!

Lamb Tikka Masala

The first time I had Indian food wasn’t that long ago; I was in college and one of my best friends was Indian.

She had a real thing for chicken finger subs, so on the rare occasion when we ventured off campus for a meal, she insisted on going to a local sub shop every time. One night when we were going out to dinner I just couldn’t look at another sub; it was then that she suggested Indian food and I happily agreed.

Lamb Tikka Masala 2

We were there with a few other people and my friend ended up ordering for the table since none of the rest of us had any idea what anything was. One of the dishes she ordered was Chicken Tikka Masala, which instantly stole my heart. After that my friend taught me (after a bit of pleading on my part) how to make a basic Tikka Masala, along with a few other Indian dishes.

You can use any kind of meat you like in this dish; chicken is my favorite, but lamb is Mike’s so that’s what I usually end up making. I’ve also made it with beef and bison, and they’re also delicious.

People ask me a lot about what meals I keep stocked in my freezer – this one is a staple! I freeze individual servings and then when we need a quick meal I can defrost however many servings we need. Then come dinnertime, I just whip up a quick pot of rice and dinner is on the table. But here’s a little secret: while most people enjoy this dish eaten over rice, I actually prefer it eaten on its own, like stew, with a dollop of yogurt on top. Either way you can’t go wrong.

Lamb Tikka Masala 3

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Lamb Tikka Masala
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: 6 servings
 
Ingredients
Lamb and Marinade:
  • 1½ lbs (680 g) lamb (I like loin or sirloin meat for this), trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes (see Note below)
  • ½ cup (115 g) plain, unsweetened yogurt
  • 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala spice mix
  • ½ teaspoon salt
Gravy:
  • 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee)
  • 1 large onion, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced
  • 2 medium-large green bell peppers, de-seeded and thinly sliced
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (more or less to taste)
  • 4 large cloves garlic, grated
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 teaspoons garam masala spice mix, divided
  • 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon each ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground fenugreek
  • 1 cup (235 ml) low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 (28 oz can) tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar or coconut palm sugar (more or less to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley (or cilantro), plus more for garnish if desired
For serving:
  • Prepared basmati rice
Instructions
  1. For the lamb and marinade, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. While the gravy simmers, skewer meat and fully cook on a grill or in a hot oven.
  2. For the gravy, heat the ghee over medium heat in a large, deep-sided pan with a lid; once hot, add the onion, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper, and sauté (uncovered) until starting to soften but not brown (about 6 to 7 minutes), stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the jalapeno, garlic, and ginger, and sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the bay leaf, 2½ teaspoons garam masala, coriander, cumin, and crushed red pepper flakes, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and fenugreek, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  5. Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, and lemon juice.
  6. Bring up to a boil, put the lid on the pan but leave it slightly ajar, turn the heat down to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Turn the heat off and stir in remaining ½ teaspoon garam masala, cream, parsley, and cooked lamb. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
  8. Serve the lamb tikka masala topped with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley or cilantro if desired, alongside prepared basmati rice.
Notes
To Reheat: Cook over medium-low heat on the stovetop until warm throughout, making sure it doesn’t come to a boil (to prevent cream from curdling).

Meat Options: Instead of lamb, sometimes I also make this dish with chicken, beef, or bison. The other ingredients and cooking methods are the same.

Update (April 13, 2014): I made this dish again and perfected the recipe and snapped a few pictures, so I decided to update both the recipe and the photos in this post. As a point of comparison to show how much my photography has evolved, I kept one of my original photos (below).

IMG_9916(small)

Comments

  1. Barbara Barry says

    I just tried this recipe. It turned out great, but the ginger was a little overpowering. I think I’m going to try it again but with a 1/3 less ginger. Could just be my taste though. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  3. Mia says

    I imagine how muc fun u guys must have had.
    We love tikka masala too and this recipe is sure absolutely fantastic.
    AM sure ur having a wonderful trip and lods of fun.

    Reply

  8. Anna Johnston says

    I can’t believe you only just tried Indian food? I’m impressed you stuck with the chicken finger subs for as long as you did, Indian food is wonderful, bet you were kicking yourself after that? :) Im not a big lamb fan, but it is better in Indian food as you can mask the taste of the meat more easily. LOL. I know… Weird right?!

    Reply

  10. Lucy says

    I love Indian food but the ease of buying it stops me making it often, which is bad! Your delicious tikka masala looks like just the inspiration to get back to the kitchen :)

    Reply

  16. LeQuan says

    I don’t eat lamb, but hubby does and he loves lamb tikka masala. I really need to learn to make this for him. Yours looks so wonderful and authentic. Someone I know would be drooling over this. Hope you guys are having a great vacation.

    Reply

  18. Monet says

    This looks even better than what I order at my favorite Indian restaurant here in Austin. I need to make this as soon as I can! Thanks for sharing with me tonight. Enjoy your weekend…take time to rest, laugh and eat some great food!

    Reply

  22. Erica says

    I think I’ve told you this before, but I had a bad experience with Indian food and have been afraid to try it since! This looks totally interesting and do-able though! Hope your trip is going well :)

    Reply

  26. Mollie says

    I LOVE Indian food! My roommate freshman year was Indian too, and her parents owned a restaurant in NYC so when they came to visit they brought tupperwares of food for us – yummm! I will definitely try this recipe, I’ve been meaning to stock up on Indian spices.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  33. Priti says

    I like chicken tikka masala n paneer tikka masala and this looks so yum..love the pic and I must be coming after a long to your space Faith dear …love the new look ..looks awesome ..and hope you are enjoying your holiday …hav fun

    Reply

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I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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