Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• 450 g chicken breast (diced into chunks)
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves (for marinade)
• 1 tbsp ginger (for marinade)
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin (for marinade)
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander (for marinade)
• 0.5 tsp paprika (for marinade)
• 0.5 tsp garam masala (for marinade)
• 0.5 tsp chilli powder (for marinade)
• 0.5 tsp turmeric (for marinade)
• 1 tsp salt (for marinade)
• 1 tsp black pepper (for marinade)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp ginger (for sauce)
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin (for sauce)
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander (for sauce)
• 0.5 tsp paprika (for sauce)
• 2 tsp garam masala (divided (some for sauce, some for finishing))
• 0.5 tsp turmeric (for sauce)
• 0.5 tsp chili powder (for sauce)
• 1 bay leaf (crushed to release flavor)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 450 g tomato passata
• 100 ml double cream (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp butter
• salt (to taste for sauce)
• black pepper (to taste for sauce)
• fresh coriander (chopped for garnish)
• 1 tbsp oil (for frying)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp ginger, and the marinade spices (ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, and black pepper).

2. 2

   Add the chicken chunks to the bowl, coat well with the marinade, and let it marinate for at least 1 hour.

3. 3

   Heat a splash of oil in a hot pan. Cook the chicken until it has developed color on all sides, then remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

4. 4

   In the same pan used for the chicken, add the diced onion and cook until soft and golden brown. Add a splash of water if needed to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. 5

   Add the sauce spice mix (cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, chili powder), 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp ginger, tomato paste, and the crushed bay leaf. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

6. 6

   Stir in the tomato passata. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove the bay leaf, then blend the sauce until smooth using a blender or immersion blender.

8. 8

   Return the blended sauce to the pan. Add the double cream, honey, butter, remaining garam masala, and salt to taste.

9. 9

   Add the cooked chicken back into the sauce and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

10. 10

    Garnish with fresh coriander and a drizzle of cream. Serve with naan and rice.

Notes

Ideally, marinate the chicken for at least an hour for better flavor, though it can be used immediately if you're in a rush. Crushing the bay leaf helps release more flavor into the sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• chicken
• curry
• spicy
• stovetop