Lamb & Eggplant Tikka Masala ~ tikka masala is probably the most popular Indian dish on the planet, and with good reason…it’s creamy, aromatic, and so satisfying!
My Chicken Tikka Masala was so good I could hardly wait to try other versions. Chicken is the most common, but tikka masalaย is also made with lamb, fish, or the Indian cheese, paneer. I planned a vegetarian dish, but at the last minute switched to lamb and eggplant, that combination is so lush. I love curries of all kinds, but Tikka Masala (tikka meaning ‘chunks’ or ‘bits’, and masala meaning a mix of spices)ย is a gentler dish, where the spices are more muted and the focus is on large chunks of marinated and then grilled meat. The sauce is tomato based, and the distinctive bright orange color comes from the addition of heavy cream, or, in this case, coconut milk, which I think is a little lighter and balances out the richness of the lamb.
Tikka masala was actually invented in British Indian restaurants, so it’s not authentically Indian, but more of a 20th century fusion dish. If you’re not familiar with Indian food and you want to ease into it, this is a good one to start with.
I used a dry saute method for the chunks of eggplant, which I love because it intensifies the flavor and avoids the issue of the eggplant soaking up fat or oil like a sponge. In spite of the long list of spices, this dish is very quick to put together, especially if you mix the meat and marinade in the morning, or better yet, the night before. Serve the tikka masala with basmati rice and some yogurt and chutney on the side. It’s pure fall comfort food, with a kick.
Reader Rave ~
“Today was the second time I made this, but this time I happened to have chicken thighs in the fridge. Just want to say, very nice recipe, had 3 pounds of meat so doubled the tomatoes but tripled the spices, onions and who knows with the egg plant. Loved the marinade/broil of the meat and the dry eggplant saute, really comes out so everything is perfectly cooked. โ ย ~ Alfie
Lamb & Eggplant Tikka Masala
Ingredients
for the lamb
- 1 lb good quality lamb, cut in large pieces
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
for the sauce:
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 10 cardamom pods, crushed
- 4 small dried hot chilies, crushed, seeds and all (adjust to suit your taste)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 28 oz can of good quality crushed tomatoes, you can use whole tomatoes and crush them yourself
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Put the lamb, yogurt, and spices in a bowl and mix until everything is well combined and the lamb is completely coated.. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours (or even better, overnight) to marinate.
- Put the meat on a foil covered baking sheet (leave the yogurt coating on) and put under the broiler for about 10 minutes until the surface starts to char. The lamb will not be completely cooked, it will finish cooking in the sauce. Set the meat aside.
- For the sauce, heat the 3 Tbsp olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot and saute the onions, tomato paste, spices, garlic and ginger and salt for abut 10 minutes, stirring often so it won't scorch.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Meanwhile cut the eggplant in large bite sized chunks. Heat a cast iron skillet (or similar pan) over medium high heat. Add the eggplant (with no oil) to the pan and saute, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the eggplant is softened and browned, but still firm, about 10 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, cilantro, lamb and eggplant to the sauce and cook gently for about 30 minutes. You can partially cover the top if the sauce seems thick.
- Check the seasonings and adjust if necessary. Garnish with more cilantro, and serve with basmati rice and yogurt..
Notes
This is a lovely recipe! I particularly liked the crushed whole cardamom pods, that gave a bursts of flavor. I did removed the outer pod and used maybe twice as many pods-worth. I used tiny fresh green chiles that I got in my Indian food market in place of the dried ones. I slit them open to release their flavor but left them relatively intact so that my husband could pull them out-he’s less of a hot spicy lover than I am. I used probably 50% more spice than the recipe but wasn’t overwhelming. I did like the fact that I could multi-task broiling the meat/dry toasting the eggplant and making the sauce. It came together nicely.
Excuse me, this recipe is for how many people or pax?
Congrants and Regards
Today was the second time I made this, but this time I happened to have chicken thighs in the fridge. Just want to say, very nice recipe, had 3 pounds of meat so doubled the tomatoes but tripled the spices, onions and who knows with the egg plant. Loved the marinade/broil of the meat and the dry eggplant saute, really comes out so everything is perfectly cooked. There are some really weak recipes for tikka masala on the net (tried one recently), so really appreciate the good ones! Saving as one of my go to dishes. Can’t wait till I can use my garden veggies for it, well, I did use my garlic and dried peppers from last year.
It’s so valuable when readers like you come back to report like this, thanks so much Alfie. One of my daughter’s loves tikka masala, so I’ve made a few versions over the years…you might like my chicken tikka masala, as well: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/chicken-tikka-masala/
Hi ! Do you think i could make a version with the slow cooker ? still process with the marinade and the broiling, make the first part of the sauce in the pan and finish with the coconut milk etc in the slow cooker, with the meat and the browned eggplant ?
you think what ? 2/3 hours on high for the lamb to be tender and shred ?
Thanks in advance for your response ๐
That should work fine, I think Marion. Depending on your slow cooker, mine seems to run hot, I think 3 hours should work!
Your website is pure heaven for a foodie like me.
๐ Thanks!
I thought I posted this comment before but it seems not to be appearing. I am currently marinating the lamb and need to find out what level of heat the stove should be at when sauteing the onions and spices and when you are cooking everything for the 30 minutes? You don’t say but you do say to stir onions so they don’t scorch. Does that mean they should be done on higher? So is medium heat good for both? Please help!
Hi Jen– Medium heat should be fine, everyone’s stove works a little differently, so it’s hard to specify exactly. For the 30 minutes, a gentle simmer is perfect, so probably medium heat as well. Hope this helps!
Also, when I say don’t scorch, it’s more for the spices than the onions. Spices can burn at lower temperatures.
What a gorgeous dish and the colors are so brilliant. My family all loves lamb. Great combination of flavors too.
Sam