Pasta has been a weeknight favorite for us, especially since I started making it in my instant pot. One of the best things about making pasta in Instant Pot is that it gets ready in one pot and takes less than 30 minutes. There is no better meal than delicious pasta on a busy weeknight after work. Yes…yes…there are lots of carbs, but hey..it is so good! I have been making my favorite paneer tikka masala, and chicken tikka masala in the instant pot for a long time. This time I thought why not give a desi twist to pasta and combine the tikka masala sauce with pasta….and I got to tell you…this is THE BEST COMBINATION EVER! You can use any type of pasta, even tortellini tastes great in the tikka masala sauce. As pasta looks similar to noodles, my daughter calls this dish a chicken tikka noodles recipe. This Indian-style pasta is not too spicy and has all the right flavors, which will make it a favorite of your kids as well.
Watch How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala Pasta
How to make Tikka Masala Pasta in Instant Pot?
Before you start making this Indian fusion pasta, you need to marinate the chicken pieces. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and then coat the chicken pieces on all sides. Marinate it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 8 hours. The only preparation in this recipe is chopping the onions and prepping the ginger and garlic. I used a ginger garlic paste to simplify my preparation. The next step is preparing the chicken tikka pasta sauce, which is the base for this dish.
Set the instant pot to sauté mode and heat some oil. Add the finely diced onions and sauté for a few minutes, and then add the ginger-garlic and sauté for another minute. Then, add the marinated chicken pieces and spices. Mix them well. Keep stirring frequently and saute for a few minutes. The chicken pieces will change color. To make sure that chicken pieces don’t stick to the bottom, add some water and deglaze the instant pot before switching it off.
Now, it is time to add the spaghetti.
Break the spaghetti into two and spread them evenly over the sautéed chicken pieces. Next, add tomato puree on top of the spaghetti. Do not mix. Now, add the water to the tomato sauce. Make sure the spaghetti is fully covered in liquid. Close the lid of the instant pot with the vent in the sealing position and set it on high pressure for 4 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually. Now add the cream, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), and a drizzle of lime juice and mix it well.
Garnish with cilantro, and your Chicken Tikka Pasta is ready to be served!
How to make Tikka Masala Pasta on the Stovetop?
Making this Indian-style pasta recipe is also as easy on the stovetop.
You first need to boil the pasta as per the packet instructions and set it aside. Reserve about a cup of pasta water. Take a large, heavy bottom pan and heat it on medium heat. Once it is hot, add some oil to it and sauté the onions well. Then add the ginger-garlic and sauté well for a minute or until the raw smell disappears. Add the marinated chicken and spices and cook on medium flame until you see the chicken pieces change color. Keep stirring frequently. Add the tomato puree and mix well. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked. Now add the cooked pasta to this chicken tikka sauce. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to get the right consistency. Mix them well. Add the cream, kasuri methi, and lime juice. Give it a good stir. Finally, garnish the pasta with finely chopped cilantro leaves. Your chicken tikka masala pasta is ready for serving.
Tips to make perfect Tikka Masala Pasta
I have used Chicken thighs to make this pasta. However, boneless chicken breasts will work just as well. For chicken pieces to marinate well, use plain full-fat or Greek yogurt. Also, it is important to marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes for it to soak in the flavors. I have used canned tomato puree to make this pasta; you can substitute them with fresh tomatoes by pureeing them. The color will not be as bright red with fresh tomatoes. You can make this recipe with other kinds of pasta as well, like whole-wheat pasta. Adjust the cooking time based on the pasta you use. The time to cook is usually 1 minute less than half of the suggested time on the pasta box. This will result in al dente pasta. The pasta thickens as it cools down. So, when reheating, add some cream/water as needed. To adjust the spice level, you can reduce or skip Kashmiri red chili powder. This provides a bright red color to the final dish, so the color will vary if you reduce/skip it.
Variations for Tikka Masala Pasta
This Chicken Tikka Masala pasta is very versatile. Here I am sharing some variations to make this delicious pasta.
Make it dairy-free: Use coconut milk in place of heavy cream in this recipe. Make this vegetarian: Use paneer or tofu in place of chicken. Marinate the paneer and pan-fry it in some oil. Pressure cook the pasta with the sauce. Then, add the paneer to the cooked pasta. If there is any leftover marinade, you can mix it in before or after pressure cooking. Make this gluten-free: Use a gluten-free pasta and make it on the stovetop. In my experience, some gluten-free pasta doesn’t work well and gets overcooked in the instant pot.
If you are looking for a scrumptious one-pot meal that comes together within 30 minutes, then this Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Pasta is a great choice. It is a comforting meal that will satisfy our hunger after a long day. Do try this yummy dish, and let me know how it turns out!
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Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
