Roasted Butternut Tikka Masala Recipe

Ingredients

Roasted Butternut Squash

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoons garam masala spice blend
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 can chickpeas, drained (or sub 1 lb boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces)

Tikka Masala Sauce

• 0.25 cup sliced ginger
• 0.25 cup garlic (10 cloves)
• 1 small fresh serrano chilies, cut in half lengthwise (or sub a jalapeño)
• 4 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 8 roma tomatoes, rough chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional but amazing)
• 0.75 cup plain, full-fat yogurt (or coconut milk or heavy cream)

For Serving

• 0.25 cup chopped cilantro for garnish
• basmati rice or naan bread

Instructions

Roast the Butternut Squash

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. In a medium bowl, toss butternut squash with olive oil, garam masala and salt, until evenly coated. Spread out on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. You can also roast the chickpeas if you like them crispy—toss with the butternut, add a little extra oil.
3. If adding chicken, place cut-up chicken into a bowl. Drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon garam masala, and toss to coat. Place on another baking sheet or baking dish, and bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Broil for a minute or two to get a deeper color.

Make the Tikka Masala Sauce

1. Place sliced ginger, garlic and chiles in a food processor to make a paste. Pulse until very finely chopped.
2. Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven. Sauté the paste over medium heat until nicely browned for 6-8 minutes, stirring and scraping up brown bits with a metal spatula. Cook until golden.
3. Add tomato paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until color deepens. Add garam masala, cinnamon and paprika, and cook for 2 more minutes to intensify flavor.
4. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, water and optional fenugreek leaves. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
5. Blend the Tikka Masala Sauce in batches either using an immersion blender, or a regular blender (covering the blender with a kitchen towel and firmly holding the lid down to prevent an explosion). Return the blended sauce to the pot.
6. Whisk in the yogurt (or coconut milk, cashew cream, or heavy cream). This sauce can be made ahead and reheated!

Finish and Serve

1. Add the roasted butternut squash and chickpeas (or roasted chicken) to the sauce and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
2. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over fluffy basmati rice, or with naan bread and a side of raita!

Notes

• For a vegan version, use coconut milk instead of yogurt and olive oil instead of ghee.
• The dried fenugreek leaves add an authentic restaurant-style flavor—highly recommended if you can find them.
• This sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Adjust the number of serrano chilies based on your heat preference (1 for mild, up to 4 for spicy).