Chicken Tikka Masala.

Chicken Tikka Masala.

Don't be alarmed by the orange colour, there's no added artificial colourings. The vibrant orange colour is achieved with cayenne pepper, paprika, tomato purée and turmeric powder.

Serves 4.

    For the spice mix.

In a small frying pan, dry roast,

-1tsp peppercorns,

-2tbsp coriander seeds,

-2tbsp cumin seeds,

-1/2 stick cinnamon,

-2-3 cloves,

-1tsp mustard seeds.

Cook, stirring on low heat until the spices are toasted.

Finely grind using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.

   For the chicken.

In a large bowl put in,

-200g Greek Style Yoghurt,

-1tbsp spice mix,

-1tsp sea salt,

-1tsp turmeric powder,

-1tsp cayenne pepper (adjust according to your taste),

-2tsp paprika.

Stir well to combine. Add

-2x chicken thigh fillets + 2x chicken breast fillets.

Mix well and leave to marinade. At least a couple of hours.

   For the Masala Sauce.

In a large casserole pan, fry

-2 cloves garlic with,

-2tbsp chopped ginger,

-2 sliced onions,

Cook, stirring until the onions have caramelised. Add

-500g chopped fresh tomatoes,

-2tbsp tomato purée,

-1tsp turmeric powder,

-1tbsp paprika,

-1tsp cayenne pepper,

-1tsp salt,

-the remaining spice mix, add

-2-3tbsp yoghurt (this is to stop the spices from burning).

Continue to add a few tablespoonfuls of yoghurt at a time (if you add it all at once, the sauce will split, you need 300ml in total)

Add 200ml chicken stock (or water).

Leave to simmer for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is thick and smooth. Turn off the heat and leave aside.

In a large frying pan, on high heat, sear 

-chicken pieces. The chicken doesn't need to be cooked through.

Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces and then add to the curry sauce.

Put the curry back on simmer until the chicken pieces are cooked through.

Serve with rice and bread.