Chicken Tikka Masala - my way!

Effort: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 lb deboned, skinned chicken meat (I personally prefer breast for this recipe) - cut into large cubes or strips

1 large white onion, chopped

A 2" piece of fresh Ginger- minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbs Garam Masala*

2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp (or more) either Cayenne pepper or child pepper flakes (I used the latter)

2 tbs Tomato paste

1 small can whole Italian tomatoes

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Butter or neutral oil for sautéing

 1/2 cup Full fat yogurt, plus 4 tsp. for serving

Cilantro - about 1/2 cup, coarsely chopped

Crushed sea salt to taste

Black pepper

A tiny bit of sugar to balance out the tomatoes

Add 1-2 tbsp. butter or neutral oil to a large skillet, heat until very hot & add chicken pieces. Sauté quickly, stirring from time to time until browned and almost cooked through. Remove from heat and turn chicken into a bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1/4 of the Garam Masala. (Some people prefer to combine it before cooking the chicken but I find it burns and ruins the taste). Set aside.

In the same pan, add some more butter or oil, onion & garlic. Sauté until transparent, add the ginger and sauté for another minute. Add the tomato paste, quickly mix and cook for about 20 seconds then add the tomatoes and lemon juice, crushing the tomatoes with your spoon. Add salt, chill flakes, the rest of the garam masala and turmeric. Mix well, ensuring you scrape the bottom of the pan, and cook on medium heat until bubbling. Add a tiny bit of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, then add the chicken, lower the heat to medium low and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is tender. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste. Just before serving mix in the 1/2 cup yogurt and the cilantro. Serve either with Basmati rice & peas or with Naan bread or both!

*Garam Masala

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom seeds

1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine and keep in a jar for further use. This is a rather small quantity so feel free to double it up and use it for many recipes such as marinating chicken or pork - along with some oil, yogurt & chopped garlic for a great BBQ!