Chicken Tikka Masala is very popular in the UK and is essentially a combination of an Indian dish with a British twist. The Indian part of the dish is the marinated chicken pieces, which would be cooked in a tandoor oven, the British part is the addition of the sauce. The marinated chicken can be cooked under a hot grill, then served on the skewers with the sauce poured over, or the chicken can be removed from the skewers and added to the sauce.
Serves 4
For the chicken tikka:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the marinade
juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp salt
150ml plain yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tsp Go Spice Tikka Blend
For the sauce:
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 small onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tsp Go Spice Tikka Blend
400g ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
water
1 tsp sugar
70ml whipping cream
small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and put in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and salt, and mix together. Leave to marinade for 30 minutes.
Mix the remaining marinade ingredients together and add them to the chicken. Combine well, making sure the chicken is coated all over. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, then bring to room temperature before cooking.
To make the sauce, add the oil and the onions to a large frying pan. Fry over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until the onions are softening, stirring regularly. Stir the garlic into the onions and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring, then add the Tikka Spice Blend and stir fry for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and tomato purée plus 200ml water, bring to a simmer, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.
Meanwhile, heat your grill as high as it goes, and thread the chicken on to skewers, pushing the pieces well together. Put on a baking sheet lined with foil and place it close to the top of the grill. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until nicely charred at the edges.
Using a food processor or hand blender, Purée the sauce until smooth, then, once the chicken is cooked, return the pureéd sauce to the pan on a medium heat. Stir any remaining marinade into the sauce, along with the sugar and cream. Reduce the sauce down to the consistency of a thick soup. Add the chicken (if not serving on the skewers) and cook for about 2 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt or sugar if needed, then serve with rice. Garnish with chopped coriander, if using.
