Chicken tikka masala

Inspiring from the flavours of India, this recipe calls for a simple and easy meal.

With a little bit of planning and organising, anyone could make this tikka masala at home.

Ingredients

CHICKEN TIKKA

• 500g of boneless chicken thighs

• 30g of gram flour

• 30ml of vegetable oil

• 20g of ginger-garlic paste

• 75g of yoghurt

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp garam masala

• salt

BUTTER SAUCE

• 20g of ginger-garlic paste

• 1 Indian green chilli, fresh

• 400g of tinned chopped tomatoes, puréed

• 2 tsp honey

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

• 1/4 tsp ground kasoori methi

• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder

• 20ml of vegetable oil

• 50g of unsalted butter

• salt

ONION AND TOMATO PASTE

• 20ml of vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 10g of ginger-garlic paste

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 200g of tinned chopped tomatoes

• salt

Method

1. Initially, roux the flour by warming the flour over a gentle heat with 20ml of oil in a sausepan. Mix and cook a bit and set aside.

2. To make the chicken marinate, mix in a large bowl and mix together ginger-garlic paste, Yoghurt and ground spices with salt. Add chicken thighs, red gram meal and the other 10 ml of oil, and combine together well. Transfer to a container to marinate in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 200°C

4. Heat the oil in a large casserole for the butter sauce. Add ginger and ginger-garlic paste, green chilli, sauté and add tomato, honey, powdered pulp, cardamom, kasoori methi and garam masala for a couple of minutes. Covered with a lid for 20 minutes.

5. Once cooked, add a pinch of salt and the butter. Stir well and set aside

6. To make the onion and tomato masala, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion. Sauté until translucent, then add the ginger-garlic paste, followed by the ground spices. Sauté for a further 2 minutes.

7. Add the tinned tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes. Add salt, mix well, then transfer to a bowl. Set aside

8. Give marinated chicken roughly 30 minutes before the barbecues to room temperature.

9. In the oven grill for 10–15 minutes, place the chicken tikka on the cordless cooking rack (with a drip tray below). Turn on the grill and finish cooking on the top shelf with the chicken tikka, turning occasionally to brown on the edges. Remove and reserve

10. Heat the onion and tomato masala in a saucepan to serve, then add the chicken and the makhani sauce. Serve with cream and a coriander garnish.