Mirch Ember Korma

 

A unique take on chicken tikka masala featuring a luscious sauce of roasted red peppers and cashew cream, infused with traditional spices and paired with tender, yogurt-marinated grilled chicken.

    

    Chicken Tikka Masala is a dish born from culinary fusion — a love letter to spice, creaminess, and smoky grilled meat. In this reinvented version, we honor the heart of the original while swapping the tomato for fire-roasted red peppers and rich cashew cream. The result is a vibrant, velvety sauce layered with warm spices and a mellow sweetness, perfectly clinging to charred, marinated chicken. It’s familiar yet entirely new, a bold reimagining of a modern classic.

    Instead of tomato purée, we’ll use a base of fire-roasted red bell peppers blended with soaked cashews for creaminess and body, keeping the dish rich, tangy, and subtly sweet. It’ll hit similar notes of smokiness and depth but with a unique twist.

 

Ingredients:

For the chicken marinade:

• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp garam masala

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Salt to taste

For the sauce:

• 2 large red bell peppers (fire-roasted, skin removed, chopped)

• 1 small onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1-inch piece ginger, grated

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in hot water for 30 min, drained)

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut cream

• 2 tbsp ghee or neutral oil

• Fresh cilantro for garnish

• Salt to taste

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Instructions:

1. Marinate the chicken: Mix the chicken with all marinade ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Roast the peppers: Char the red bell peppers over an open flame or under a broiler until blackened. Place in a bowl, cover, let steam 10 mins, then peel and chop.
3. Cook the chicken: Grill or sear the marinated chicken in a hot pan or grill pan until charred and cooked through. Set aside.
4. Build the sauce: In a pan, heat ghee. Sauté onion until golden. Add garlic, ginger, and spices, and cook until fragrant.
5. Blend the base: In a blender, combine roasted peppers, soaked cashews, sautéed aromatics, and chicken stock. Blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Finish the sauce: Return the blended sauce to the pan. Simmer gently, stir in cream, adjust seasoning.
7. Add chicken: Toss the grilled chicken into the sauce. Simmer a few minutes to meld flavors.
8. Serve: Garnish with cilantro. Serve with basmati rice or naan.

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Why this works:

• Roasted red peppers provide smokiness and sweetness akin to cooked-down tomatoes.

• Cashews add body and richness in place of tomato's acidity.

• Same spices mean it hits those classic tikka masala notes.

• Grilled chicken still gets its tangy, yogurt-spice marinade.