Everybody loves a comforting curry on a winters night...
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 lemon (juiced)
6 cloves of garlic (grated)
1 small piece of ginger (finely chopped)
6 tablespoons natural yoghurt
3 skinless chicken breasts
2 chillies (red, green, whatever you can get your hands on)
Tikka Masala Sauce
1 onion (diced)
4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 red chilli (sliced)
handful fresh coriander (stalks chopped, leaves reserved)
splash of olive oil
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 x 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 chicken stock cube
1 x 400 g tin of coconut milk
Method
Step 1
Put the cumin and half of the paprika and garam masala into a small pan and heat for 1 minute to refresh them, then transfer into a large bowl.
Step 2
Combine the lemon juice, grated garlic, chopped ginger, yogurt with your toasted spices and mix to a smooth paste.
Step 3
Cut the chicken breasts into medium to large chunks, then mix them into your tikka paste, ensuring they are all coated.
Cover the marinated chicken with clingfilm and place in the fridge overnight.
Step 4
Now to make the sauce. Add your onions, garlic, red chilli and coriander stalks to a non-stick pan on a medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until starting to colour.
Now add your spices to the pan: the ground coriander, turmeric and remaining teaspoon each of paprika and garam masala. Cook for 2 minutes, then add your chopped tomatoes and stock cube.
Step 5
Boil a kettle and add 250ml of boiling water to the pan.
Bring this up to a simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk.
Continue to simmer uncovered for 40-50 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and goes darker in colour. Make sure to stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick!
Step 6
In the final 10 minutes of your sauce simmering, get a grill pan or BBQ on a high heat. Once your grill is nice and hot add the chicken, cooking in batches until cooked through and nice and charred. Around 3-4 minutes each side.
Step 7
Transfer the cooked chicken to the sauce and stir through to keep warm.
Sprinkle over your reserved coriander leaves and serve your curry with white rice or naan breads.