Tostada de Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe (with Video)

Spice Blend
1. Combine all spices in a bowl, incorporate.
Ginger-Garlic Paste
1. Grate garlic and ginger into a bowl.
Quick Pickled Onions
1. Slice onions perpendicular to the root into rounds. Set in a glass or metal container.
2. In a pot, mix vinegar of choice, water, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium until simmering and homogenous. Pour over onions. The longer they sit the better, but they can be used immediately.
Cilantro Pesto
1. Using a molcajete (mortar and pestle) or a blender/food processor, first break down garlic, almonds, and cotija cheese to form a paste. Add cilantro.
2. Finish off with red onion and lime, waiting until the very end to season with salt and pepper. This may not need salt as cotija cheese is already salty, but if you’re going dairy free be sure to add salt.
Marinated Chicken Thighs
1. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl. Let marinate for at least an hour but preferably overnight.
Chicken Tikka Masala
1. Sear chicken thighs over med-high heat and pull when nicely colored and cooked about 70% of the way through.
2. Add onion and cook until translucent, then add ginger garlic paste. After a minute, stir in tomato paste and cook out for another 3 minutes. Add spice blend and toast for about 30 seconds before adding tomatoes.
3. Cook tomatoes for about 2 minutes, then add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Once the tomatoes are fully cooked and water is evaporated, blend to get the sauce perfectly smooth. Add coconut milk.
4. Dice the chicken into 2 cm cubes, bring sauce to a boil and add chicken to the sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring along the way to ensure the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot/pan.