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Everyday Fare With Extraordinary Flair

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Home » Cuisine » Indian » Lamb Tikka Masala

Lamb Tikka Masala

March 4, 2011 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:  30 mins
Cook time:  40 mins
Total time:  1 hour 10 mins
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.
3.5.3251

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)

Filed Under: Indian, Lamb Tagged: Homemade Indian Food, Indian Food, Indian Recipes, Lamb, Recipes, Tikka Masala

Comments

  1. Barbara Barry says

    January 1, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    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
  2. Dan says

    May 2, 2011 at 9:33 pm

    Look delicious. Never seen tikka masala with lamb before.

    Reply
  3. Mia says

    March 12, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    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
  4. Biren @ Roti n Rice says

    March 9, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    This looks so appetizing and flavorful! Need lots of basmati rice to go with this…yumm!

    Reply
  5. Krista says

    March 8, 2011 at 11:22 am

    I love Indian food…esp tikka masala! I’d use chicken, too.

    Reply
  6. Veronica says

    March 7, 2011 at 1:45 am

    This has a lot more going on than the recipe I’ve been using. I think I need to try it!

    Reply
  7. Nourhan @ Miss Anthropist's Kitchen says

    March 6, 2011 at 5:02 pm

    I love this!! And I hope you have a great time in the Middle East, darling! :)

    Reply
  8. Anna Johnston says

    March 6, 2011 at 4:50 am

    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
  9. grace says

    March 6, 2011 at 1:19 am

    chicken finger subs? no no no! this is the way to go, for sure. :)

    Reply
  10. Lucy says

    March 5, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    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
  11. Nutmeg Nanny says

    March 5, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    Yum! I love tikka masala! Since a lovey friend sent me some delicious spices I can give this a try at home…yum!

    Reply
  12. [email protected] says

    March 5, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    Loves tasty.What a twist to tikka masala.Love the color of gravy

    Reply
  13. Raina says

    March 5, 2011 at 12:01 pm

    I have never tried this dish. It sounds wonderful with all of those spices and flavors. Thanks for sharing it:)

    Reply
  14. Faith @ lovelyascharged says

    March 5, 2011 at 10:39 am

    Oh man, Indian food is the best. The flavors are just absolutely insane…now I’m craving it like whoa!

    Reply
  15. marla {family fresh cooking} says

    March 5, 2011 at 8:10 am

    Faith, I hope your trip is wonderful. In the mean time I look forward to reading your posts. This lamb looks perfect!

    Reply
  16. LeQuan says

    March 5, 2011 at 1:58 am

    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
  17. Angie's Recipes says

    March 5, 2011 at 12:33 am

    This looks marvelous! I love this creamy and flavourful sauce a lot.

    Reply
  18. Monet says

    March 5, 2011 at 12:00 am

    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
  19. Steve @ HPD says

    March 4, 2011 at 3:30 pm

    i love indian food … but i need to take a class in indian food terminology! i just can’t remember what means what. cheers!

    Reply
  20. Swathi says

    March 4, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    Looks delicious. I love curries.

    Reply
  21. Victoria says

    March 4, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Tikka Masala is one of my favorite curries. Never tried it with lamb, but sounds really good.

    Reply
  22. Erica says

    March 4, 2011 at 1:24 pm

    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
  23. Heavenly Housewife says

    March 4, 2011 at 12:48 pm

    Tikka Masala is a great intro to Indian food, not to spicy, but super flavorful and delicious. I use Gordon Ramsay’s recipe, and it is awesome: http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/gordon-ramsay/gordon-ramsay-s-top-10-restaurant-classics/display/image/chicken-tikka-masala
    *kisses* HH

    Reply
  24. Katerina says

    March 4, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    This dish is haunting me. I want to make it only with this and that I haven’t got the chance yet. it looks delicious Faith!

    Reply
  25. Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook says

    March 4, 2011 at 12:19 pm

    I’ve never really had Indian food, maybe once, years ago. I should change that, your dish looks delicious and so flavorful!

    Reply
  26. Mollie says

    March 4, 2011 at 11:47 am

    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
  27. mimi says

    March 4, 2011 at 11:39 am

    I haven’t experimented much with Indian food, but this looks like a good recipe to get me going.
    Mimi

    Reply
  28. Rosa says

    March 4, 2011 at 11:22 am

    That dish looks really good! Delicious flavors.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  29. Michelle says

    March 4, 2011 at 11:02 am

    Sounds delicious. Love the freshly grated ginger in there.

    Reply
  30. Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says

    March 4, 2011 at 10:18 am

    i cant eat lammy poo but i’m sure as hell making that gravy to douse my chickpeas with! <3 deeelish girl!

    I made chickpea tikka masala last night and can't get enough! <3

    have a great weekend!

    Reply
  31. Lisa says

    March 4, 2011 at 9:29 am

    I love indian food! I haven’t made anything like this, but I really should—it looks awesome!

    Reply
  32. Karen says

    March 4, 2011 at 8:55 am

    Have a fantastic time, Faith! I can’t wait to see your pictures and hear all about the trip. Bon voyage! :-)

    Reply
  33. Priti says

    March 4, 2011 at 6:44 am

    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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Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

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meet faith

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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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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