Food and Cooking

Chicken tikka masala: RECIPE

Chicken tikka masala we love you. A quintessential British favourite and one that shouldn’t rely on a phone call to the takeaway.

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 tbsp ready-made tandoori paste
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
3 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
1 cinnamon stick
8 cardamom pods
1 large onion, finely chopped
3cm/1¼in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
½–1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)
half a 400g can chopped tomatoes
150ml/5fl oz chicken stock or water
1½ tsp garam masala
½ lemon, juice only
½ tsp salt

Chicken tikka masala
Method
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and mix with the tandoori paste and yoghurt. Marinate in a non-metallic dish in the fridge for at least a couple of hours (or overnight), stirring occasionally.

Heat the oil or ghee in a deep frying pan, and when it’s very hot add the cinnamon, cardamom pods and onion. Fry for 5–6 minutes, or until beginning to brown, then add the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper.

After the spices have cooked for about a minute, add the chicken with the marinade. Fry for 3–4 minutes, then add the tomatoes, chicken stock or water, garam masala, lemon juice and salt. Bring the curry to a simmer and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve straight away with rice or naan bread.

Source: BBC FOOD