Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala is a dish of chunks of roasted marinated chicken in a spiced curry.The curry is usually creamy and orange-coloured. It is among the United Kingdom most popular dishes.

Ingredients:

• 900g boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

For the marinate:

• 190g plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
• 1 tbsp finely minced ginger
• 2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garam masala
•  1tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground green cardamon
• 1 tsp salt

For the sauce:

• 4 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1½ tbsp finely minced garlic
• 1½ tbsp finely minced ginger
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp ground green cardamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 750g chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup water
• 1½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup double cream
• ¼ cup chopped coriander and more for garnishing

Method:

Make the marinate: In a large mixing bowl, make the marinade by combining the yogurt, lemon juice, oil, spices, garlic and ginger. Add the chicken pieces and stir to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerated for several hours, preferably overnight.

Grill the chicken: Tread the chicken pieces onto skewers and arrange them on a lined roasting rack or lined baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 260ºC/240ºC for fan assist oven. Roast the chicken on the top rack under grill for 10-12 minutes, turning once, or until the chicken is lightly charred on the edges.

Reserve the juices that dripped to the bottom of the rack and add them to the sauce along when you add the grilled chicken.

Make the sauce: While the chicken is roasting, heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions over medium-high heat until they are caramelised. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another two minutes.

Add all of the spices and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the chopped tomatoes, water, salt and sugar. Bring the sauce to a simmer, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the cream.

Remove the grilled/roasted chicken pieces from the skewers and add them to the sauce along with the reserved drippings from the roasting pan.

Bring the sauce back to a simmer, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped coriander. Add salt to taste.

Garnish the chicken tikka masala with some chopped coriander and serve with hot rice and fresh naan bread.