21 Mar Latasha’s Kitchen Tikka Masala Paste
Review by Michael Elias
Product: Latasha’s Kitchen Tikka Masala Paste
Location of Manufacture: Made in Sydney, Australia
Ingredients: Tomatoes, onions, sunflower oil, spices, salt, ginger, fresh coriander and mint leaves, yoghurt powder, lemon juice, vinegar, water, red chillies, garlic, green chillies, sugar. Contains milk product.
Review: In tasting this paste I have followed the cooking instructions with respect to a dry style tikka – as I have always wanted to try this as a marinade for chicken skewers on the barbecue. Have used a light Greek style yoghurt and chicken thigh fillets. The tikka masala is well balanced with a nice level of heat, not overly spicy but this is more of a milder marinade. The flavours in the marinade didn’t overpower each other and it was quite delicious with the chicken. In cooking it over coals I was fortunate enough to have some long skewers which meant I avoided the Achilles heel of most wet marinades – the dreaded “sauce burning and sticking to the grill”, but you can avoid this by turning regularly. The flavours and aromas to come off during the cooking process were sensational…..to the point where a skewer was eaten before it reached the dinner table (its good to be the grill man…and for review purposes of course J). I also tried some as in a pita bread wrap with salad which also delicious. On my heat rating it’s a 2out of 5…about the level you want a tikka masala to be.
Verdict: Latasha’s Kitchen Tikka Masala Paste is an excellent alternative to typical marinades for chicken and other barbecue meats. Having said that it would work just as well as a simmer sauce based on the lovely balance of flavours. It’s got a nice level of spice and the ingredients don’t overpower each other. As always with Latasha’s Kitchen the flavours in my opinion are quite authentic. My final score is 4 out of 5
