Daily Mail - Daily Mail Weekend Magazine

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

This is without question one of the nation’s favourite dishes. At its best, it’s a combinatio­n of tandoori chicken with a rich, spicy tomato sauce cooked in ghee or butter – and it is often said to have been invented in the UK.

SERVES 4

■ 2tsp cumin seeds

■ 1½tsp coriander seeds

■ 750g skinless, boneless chicken breast meat (about 4 breasts), cut into 3-4cm chunks

■ 25g ghee or clarified butter, melted

■ 1½tbsp lemon juice

■ A small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish

FOR THE MARINADE

■ Seeds from 12 green cardamom pods, crushed

■ Juice of 1 large lemon

■ 1tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

■ 1tsp ground turmeric

■ 1tsp salt

■ 150ml natural yoghurt

■ 25g root ginger, grated

■ 2 garlic cloves, grated

FOR THE SAUCE

■ 3tbsp ghee, clarified butter or vegetable oil

■ 1 large onion, finely sliced

■ 2 garlic cloves, grated

■ 25g fresh root ginger, grated

■ ½tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

■ 1tsp garam masala

■ 225g chopped tomatoes, tinned or fresh

■ 1tbsp tomato paste

■ 1tbsp ground almonds

■ ½tsp salt

■ 1tsp sugar

■ 120ml double cream

■ 3 green chillies, slit open

TO SERVE

■

Chapatis, pilau rice and lemon wedges

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Cool, then grind in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar.

Put 1tsp of the toasted and ground seeds in a bowl with all the marinade ingredient­s. Add the chicken chunks to the bowl, then toss to coat. Set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Line a grill pan with foil and preheat the grill to high. Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade and brush with melted ghee or clarified butter. Cook under the grill – or on a barbecue – for 5-6 minutes on each side, until lightly charred in places and cooked through.

For the sauce, heat the ghee, clarified butter or vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the grated garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the remaining toasted seeds, and the chilli powder and garam masala, and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, ground almonds, salt and 300ml water, then bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add any remaining marinade together with the sugar, cream and green chillies to the sauce and simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until it has thickened a little.

Add the chicken to the sauce and cook for a few more minutes, then stir in the lemon juice and coriander. Garnish with more coriander leaves, then serve with chapatis, pilau rice and lemon wedges.