Easy Chicken Tikka Masala
Britain's favorite Indian dish: grilled chicken in a rich tomato sauce.
This recipe uses ready-made tikka masala curry powder although you could substitute the spices listed under the 'Chicken Tikka Masala' recipe instead. This version marinates the chicken in yogurt and spices and serves it in a rich creamy tomato sauce.
Surprisingly easy to do. The chicken can be prepared in advance and left to marinate longer than the stated time. Also the sauce can be made in advance and reheated when needed.
| Serves | : 4 |
| Preparation Time | : 10 minutes plus 1 hour marinating time |
| Cooking Time | : sauce: 30 minutes; chicken: 15 minutes |
Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts, chopped8 fl oz / 225g plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 onions
2 tbsp vegetable oil
7 oz / 200g good quality tinned whole tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped finely
salt and pepper seasoning
1/2 pint single cream
fresh coriander, chopped for garnish
8 oiled metal skewers
Herbs & Spices
4 - 6 tsp Tikka Masala1 (optional) Chillies Whole
Cooking Instructions
Place the tikka masala curry powder, yogurt and lemon juice in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add some salt and pepper seasoning. Cut the chicken into approx 1 inch pieces and add to the bowl. Stir well so all the chicken is coated with sauce and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, although the longer the better (ideally overnight).Heat the oil in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat. Chop the onion finely and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the whole chilli (if using) and continue stirring and cooking until fragrant. Add the tinned tomatoes and cream and simmer for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes break down. Remove the chilli. If doing this in advance, set aside at this point. If not, cook the chicken as stated below whilst your sauce is simmering.
When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill as hot as you can. Divide the chicken pieces between the 8 oiled skewers. and cook under the grill, turning frequently, for about 15 minutes or until cooked.
When ready to eat, remove the chicken from the skewers and add to the sauce (reheated gently if necessary) and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle over fresh coriander if using and serve.