Dinner · British Indian

Chicken tikka masala

Name: Chicken tikka masala
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: British Indian
Ingredients: 600g Chicken thigh fillets; 150g Greek-style yoghurt; 4 tbsp Tikka curry paste; 1 Brown onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 20g Fresh ginger; 1 tbsp Vegetable oil; 1 tin Chopped tomatoes; 150ml Double cream; 15g Fresh coriander; 300g Basmati rice

Creamy, mild and a bit smoky from a hot oven. The takeaway, minus the wait.

Start to finish: 45 min
Hands-on: 30 min
In the fridge: 3 days
Freezes: Yes

A little heatContains dairy, mustard

Ingredients

4 portions

600gChicken thigh fillets
150gGreek-style yoghurt
4 tbspTikka curry paste
1Brown onion
3 clovesGarlic
20gFresh ginger
1 tbspVegetable oil
1 tinChopped tomatoes
150mlDouble cream
15gFresh coriander
300gBasmati rice

Plus salt, pepper and water.

Method

1
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Cut the chicken into big chunks and mix with the yoghurt, 2 tbsp of the tikka paste and a pinch of salt. Leave for 15 minutes.
20 min, mostly hands-off
2
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and grate the garlic and ginger.
3
Soften the onion in the oil in a large pan for 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and the rest of the paste for a minute.
4
Add the tomatoes and 100ml water and simmer for 15 minutes, until thick. Blitz with a stick blender if you like it smooth.
16 min, mostly hands-off
5
Spread the chicken out on a lined tray and roast for 15 minutes, until cooked through and charred at the edges.
15 min, mostly hands-off
6
Stir the cream into the sauce, then add the chicken and any juices from the tray. Simmer for 5 minutes and season. Add a splash of water if it is too thick.
7
Serve with rice and the chopped coriander, or cool and portion into tubs.

On the day

Reheat gently until piping hot, with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened. Cook the rice fresh on the night and scatter over the coriander.

Cook’s tip

If you can, marinate the chicken the night before. The yoghurt tenderises it and the flavour goes right through.