Cheat’s chicken tikka masala

Not very authentic, I know, but nevertheless extremely tasty. I was always told that the original recipe in Glasgow used a can of tomato soup as the base, as I do here.

FOR THE CHICKEN

† finely grated zest and

juice of 1 large lemon

† finely grated zest and

juice of 1 lime

† 6 tablespoons thick

yogurt

† 4 chicken breasts, skin on, cut into 4cm cubes

† 4 tablespoons

vegetable oil

† salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE

† 4 tablespoons

vegetable oil

† 1 tablespoon ground

coriander

† 2 teaspoons ground

turmeric

† 2 teaspoons paprika † 2 tablespoons grated ginger † 1 teaspoon garam masala † 1 small red chilli, very finely chopped † ½ teaspoon ground cloves † 2 onions, very finely chopped † 4 garlic cloves, chopped † 400g can tomato soup † 10g chicken stock

cube, crumbled

† 125ml whipping

cream

† sugar, to taste

† 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

† coriander leaves, to

serve

1

Place the lemon and lime zests and juices into a bowl with the yogurt and mix really well. Add the chicken pieces and mix well again, with a little salt and pepper. Cover and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge, for 15 to 20 minutes. 2

For the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the spices and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook for two to three minutes more. Add the tomato soup, stock cube, cream and a little water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onions are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced.

3

Blitz the sauce in a blender, or with a handheld blender, until very smooth. Pour back into the saucepan and bring to the boil. 4

Remove the chicken from the fridge. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and gently sauté the chicken for two to three minutes, until a little coloured.

5

Place straight into the simmering sauce and simmer for six to 10 minutes to finish cooking – do not overcook. Season well with salt, pepper and sugar to balance.

6

Finally, add the butter and shake the pan until the sauce has thickened and is glossy. Serve up your curry with a few coriander leaves on top.