Chicken Tikka Masala

At a party at Christmas, I tried one of the nicest homemade curries I have ever tasted. Lisa, the girl who made it, was kind enough to give me the recipe and let me share it. She devised it using a combination of a few recipes she had found.  Although in England we call this a traditional Indian dish, it has very little to do with authentic Indian cuisine. However, this was better than anything I have ever eaten in an Indian restaurant or takeaway. There is a big list of ingredients and it may seem a bit daunting but it wasn't that difficult. I marinated the meat in the morning and cooked the curry yesterday evening. It takes a little time, but it was well worth it. We had a friend for dinner who adores curries and he was in raptures. I gave him some of the left over sauce to take home, so he could make his own curry this weekend. Also lovely the next day, better even, as curries usually are.

Chicken Tikka Marinade ingredients - Serves 4


4 chicken breasts - cubed
Salt
Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste 4 cloves (crushed garlic cloves)
Ginger paste 2 tsp (grated fresh ginger)
Ground coriander 1 tsp
Garam masala 1 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Natural yogurt 1 large pot
1/2 of a lemon or lime - juice only
Red food colouring 2 cap fulls
Fresh coriander - chopped

Mix all together and leave overnight.
Before making the sauce, griddle the chicken pieces on a high heat so they
are slightly charred for 3-4 mins each side. Try to remove as much of the marinade as you can whilst you are griddling/frying. Then put aside and let cool.
Then make the sauce.

MASALA SAUCE ingredients
Garlic paste, 4 cloves
Ginger paste,2 tsp
Ghee or butter - fry the above then add:
Garam masala 1 tsp (can add a bit more)
Turmeric, 1 tsp (can add a bit more) then add:
1 tin of tomatoes, then add:
200-250 mls double cream (I didn't use this)
1/2 tin coconut milk
2-4 tbsp ground almonds
Handful fresh coriander
Then liquidise it to a smooth sauce.
Heat through and taste, add a pinch of sugar, At this point you might want to add more lemon juice, almonds or cream to your own liking.
Add the chicken and cook for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with fresh coriander.