CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

There are hundreds of recipes for this world-famous curry. Use this, my favourite version, as a guide, adjusting the sweetness and coconut flavour to taste. The two curries you see in the picture on the right taste identical – one version has the optional red food colouring; that’s how the famous bright red colour of this famous curry is achieved.

Serves 4 or more as part of a multi-course meal

For the tandoori chicken tikka

1kg (2lb 4oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces Juice of 2 lemons

Salt

3tbsp garlic and ginger paste (see tip across the bottom of pages 70-71) Red food colouring powder (optional, available online)

For the marinade

210g (7½oz) Greek yoghurt, whisked

1tbsp each ground cumin, coriander, garam masala and tandoori masala

(from supermarkets)

1tsp amchoor (dried mango powder, from

Asian supermarkets)

For the chicken tikka masala sauce

4tbsp ghee or rapeseed oil 2tbsp garlic and ginger paste (see tip across the bottom of pages 70-71)

1tbsp sugar, or to taste

2tbsp ground almonds 2tbsp coconut flour (optional) 6tbsp tomato purée (see tip across the bottom of pages 68- 69)

2tbsp mixed powder

(see page 71)

2tbsp tandoori masala (from supermarkets)

1tbsp sweet paprika powder 700ml (1¼pt) diluted base curry sauce (see page 70), heated About 125ml (4fl oz) chicken stock (optional)

200ml (7fl oz) single cream, plus a little more to finish

1tbsp red food colouring powder (optional, available online) Juice of 1 lemon

A small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped 1tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (from supermarkets) 1tsp garam masala

First make the chicken tikka. Place the chicken in a large bowl, squeeze the lemon over and sprinkle with a little salt. Stir in the 3tbsp garlic and ginger paste and some red food colouring, if using.

Mix well and set aside while you make the marinade. Place the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until smooth. Coat the chicken pieces with the marinade, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours or up to 48 hours.

I usually cook the chicken pieces on skewers over hot charcoal, but you could also cook them on a rack in the oven at about 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6 or under a grill. Thread the chicken onto skewers and cook

until cooked through and the edges are blackened.

To make the masala sauce, heat the ghee or oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. When small bubbles begin to appear, stir in the 2tbsp garlic and ginger paste; it will sizzle. Add the sugar, ground almonds and coconut flour (if using) followed by the tomato purée. This will cool the pan slightly. Swirl this all together into one big happy tomato party then stir in the mixed powder, tandoori masala and paprika, followed by 250ml (9fl oz) of the base curry sauce.

When the sauce begins to bubble, add the rest of the base curry sauce and let it simmer nicely for a few minutes. As it simmers, the sauce will begin to brown on the side of the pan. Stir this in from time to time. Add the chicken stock for extra flavour, if desired. Add the grilled chicken to the simmering sauce to heat through.

When the sauce has reduced to your desired thickness, add the cream and food colouring, if using, and simmer for a couple of minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a little more base sauce or chicken stock. To finish, season with salt and a little more sugar, to taste. Squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the coriander, fenugreek leaves and garam masala. A swirl of cream on top adds a nice finishing touch.