Lamb Tikka Masala Curry

Creamy orange-coloured curry with tender lamb pieces…. just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Lamb Tikka Masala— Do I need to say more?

A true classic, simply the most popular dish among our customers!

Today, we’re sharing with you the recipe we stole from our chefs, so you can make it at home 🙂

It’s made from the start, simple and SUPER quick!

Feeling hungry already? Skip the cooking and come to Everest to taste the real lamb tikka curry!

Is tikka masala the same as butter chicken?

VS

I mean….not quite.

They are both made with yogurt and may look similar and all, but they are different!

Butter Chicken is creamier and buttery. The Tikka Masala Curry, on the other hand, is bolder, with a more intense, spiced tomato-based sauce.

What is better, Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken?

Aiii….. That’s a tough one!

I mean, if you ask a Portuguese person they are probably going to tell you lamb tikka curry — no doubt, almost for certain!

At Everest, at least every table has a lamb tikka curry on the table.

However, that does not mean Butter Chicken is any worse…

If you love a buttery, and mildly spiced curry, butter chicken is your best bet.

But if you prefer something with more spice, lamb tikka curry wins.

Both are delicious—it just depends on what you’re in the mood for!

Other Indian Food Recipes

• Mango Lassi Recipe
• Pilau Rice Recipe

Lamb Tikka Masala curry recipe

This one can be made in your own kitchen!

How to make it? Think of it this way — the dish is made of two components: tikka and masala.

Tikka means “pieces” or boneless meat and masala is the onion-tomato curry in which the tikka is.

And that, for you guys, makes the classic lamb tikka curry.

1) Collect Ingredients

First, we start by collecting the ingredients.

At Everest, we usually have every ingredient laid out on the kitchen table, ready to put to use.

This way we make the cooking process as quick as possible.

The quantities? They are up to you really! You guys can even make it for a few days and bring with you to work.

The quantities we are providing you with will typically serve around 4 people or meals.

a. Ingredients for the lamb

• Lamb (boneless, cubed): 750g

If you feel like having other meats like chicken, prawn, or even paneer — you can!

If using chicken breasts, marinate them longer (ideally overnight) to allow the yogurt to tenderise the meat fully.

• Garam Masala: 2 tsp (4g)

Super famous Indian spice — You can easily find in the Asian markets around Lisbon.

It includes black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

• Salt: To taste (typically 1 tsp)
• Plain Greek Yogurt: 1 cup (240ml)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Ginger-Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp (8g)
• Ground Cumin: 1 tsp (2g)
• Paprika: 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder: ½ tsp (1g)
• Kashmiri Chili Powder: 1 tsp

b. Ingredients for the sauce

• Onion (finely chopped): 1 medium

Use white onions since they are sweeter.

• Garlic Cloves (minced): 4 cloves (or 16g)

PS: If you are a true Portuguese, go and add some more

• Red Chili or Piri-Piri (optional, for heat): To taste

PS: If you are a spicy person you can add some chilies here and there 😉

• Heavy Cream: 200ml

Adds a velvety texture, and helps to mellow the spice intensity.

• Tomato (puree or crushed): 400g (adjust if needed)

We usually, use fresh ingredients but if you are short on time, you are free to use canned tomato pieces. Preferably with no skin!

• Butter: 25g (safe mid-value)
• Vegetable or Canola Oil: 2 tbsp (30ml)
• Green Chili (chopped): 1
• Water: 150ml (adjust for desired consistency)
• Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves): 1 tbsp
• Brown Sugar: 1.5 tsp
• Additional Salt & Pepper: To taste
• Fresh coriander: To taste (typically around 2 tbsp, chopped)

2) Begin the Process

a. Marinate the Lamb

Start by in a large bowl, mixing together:

• Plain Greek yogurt,
• Lemon juice,
• Ginger-garlic paste,
• Ground cumin,
• Garam masala,
• Turmeric Powder,
• Paprika,
• Kashmiri chili powder, and
• Salt.

But wait—don’t forget the lamb…add the cubed lamb and coat it evenly in the marinade.

Cover and let it marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight for best flavour).

b. Sear the Lamb

You can then move to heating vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

And now add the marinated lamb pieces. But be careful!

If you want to cook like a true chef, only add them in batches to avoid overcrowding.

Now with that, you can begin searing each lamb batch the lamb for about 3 minutes per side until browned.

PRO TIP: (No need to cook through—it will finish in the sauce.)

So once brown, remove the lamb from the pan and set it aside.

You are now ready to make the sauce 😉

3) Make the Sauce

Using the same pan, add melted butter and chopped onion over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

Now, you are free to add more things to the pan and let them sauté for 1 minute:

• The minced garlic,
• Chopped green chili (if you’re a spicy one), and
• Garlic-ginger paste

Once it’s fragrant, add the spices and cook them for 20 seconds:

• Garam masala,
• Ground cumin,
• Turmeric powder, and
• Kashmiri chili powder.

PS: If you prefer it spicy you can add some chilies here and there 😉

Only once you cook the spices, you can pour in the tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes), brown sugar and salt and mix well.

Then let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every now and again. , until it thickens and darkens in color.

4) Combine Everything

Once the sauce is thick and dark in color, you can stir in heavy cream and mix it until the sauce turns creamy.

Then, finally you can add the lamb your seared earlier.

You can even pour some water in to adjust the sauce consistency, if you feel like it.

Let everything simmer for 8-10 minutes (until the lamb is cooked through), stirring occasionally.

5) Final Touch & Serving

Crush kasuri methi between your palms and stir it into the sauce.

Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if need (add more salt, sugar, or chili for spice).

To finalise it, garnish with fresh chopped coriander.

What to eat it with?

Well, usually at Everest, our customers like to it with Basmati Rice.

But if you are a bread lover, Naan or Roti will also do the job!

Conclusion

Now that you got our recipe for lamb tikka masala, you are ready to cook it at home!

(and pass by our restaurant when you don’t feel like it ahah)

Share your experience in the kitchen at home on social media and tag us so we can see your mastery!

Happy cooking! 🙂

Not In The Mood To Cook?

Then you can either choose to have a look at our Indian restaurant menu and order Rice with Lamb Tikka Masala which is available for pickup. OR…. you can reserve a table and visit our restaurant.

Lamb Tikka Masala FAQ