Chicken Tikka Masala

Often dubbed Britain's favourite dish, Chicken Tikka Masala really is something very special indeed. Its rich, burnished orange sauce is intensely flavoursome, but not overly hot, so it's ideal for curry lovers from both ends of the spectrum. This sauce was developed alongside my Tandoori Chicken Tikka, so it took me 6 years to perfect, and we absolutely love the result! I have tried to give accurate measurements for the ingredients, but I tend to play it by ear in the kitchen, throwing things into the pot like a thing possessed, so I suggest you follow the recipe to step 6, then before moving onto the final stage, sample the sauce and add a little more of any of the ingredients it needs to suit your own taste.

INGREDIENTS

1kg tandoori chicken tikka (recipe below)
Reserved tikka marinade
3 tbsp lime (or lemon) juice
3 tbsp ground almonds
1/2 pint coconut cream
1-2 tbsp sugar (to taste)
1-2 tbsp Maggi liquid seasoning
1-2 tbsp tomato ketchup (it sounds mad but it works)
10 green cardamon pods
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Water, as required.

METHOD

1] Whilst grilling the chicken tikka, gently warm the marinade in a pan.
2] Add lemon/lime juice & sugar, simmer gently for 5 mins.
3] Meanwhile, split open the cardamon pods and, discarding the shell, grind the seeds to a powder (with a motar and pestle).
4] Add ground cardamon seeds, tomato sauce and Maggi seasoning to the pan, mix well and simmer for a few more minutes.
5] Mix in the coconut cream and ground almonds and, stirring frequently, simmer again for around 15 minutes. If the sauce looks like it's thickening up too much, add enough water to slacken to the desired consistancy (like gravy).
6] Add salt and pepper to taste.
7] Stir through the chopped coriander and chicken just before serving. It tastes great with rice, chips or naans (or all three together if you're hungry). Enjoy!
(Serves 4)

MR.T Rating - 9/10

Wicked, and some! 100th time lucky. Worth the wait.