This Chicken Tikka Masala tastes as good as takeaway – chargrilled marinated chicken in a rich tomato and cream sauce. Start this recipe up to six hours/ a day in advance to allow the chicken to marinate.
4tbspdouble cream or coconut creamor fat free fromage frais for slimming version (see notes for other options)
salt and pepper to seasonto taste
To serve
fresh coriander (cilantro)roughly chopped
1lime, cut into wedgesto serve
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
Add all the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl and mix together. Add the chicken pieces, stir to combine, cover and chill for 6 hour or overnight.
Make the curry sauce
Heat the ghee or butter in a pot (or mist with cooking spray) and pan fry your onions for 5-10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring often, until softened.
Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and Tikka powder and cook for a further 3-5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, passata, squash (if using) and chicken stock, bring to simmer and cook over gentle heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring once in a while.
Remove the sauce from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick.
Blend until smooth using an immersion blender. This is not essential and you can skip if you prefer. If you have added the squash I would recommend blending to create a naturally creamy sauce.
Grill the chicken
Meanwhile, preheat a griddle pan and mist with cooking oil. Pan fry the chicken pieces until cooked through and slightly charred. Alternatively spread the chicken on a rack set over a roasting tin place under a hot grill, quite close to the heat, for 7 minutes per side until charred in places. You can also thread the chicken onto metal skewers and cook under a grill.
Add chicken to the sauce
Add the chicken pieces (and any juices that have collected in the roasting pan if grilled) into the masala sauce and heat through for a few minutes.
Stir in the cream then taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve with pilau rice with lime wedges on the side.
Video
Notes
This chicken curry is, surprisingly, suitable for popular weight loss plans if you stir fat free fromage frais or yogurt into the sauce. Storing and freezing instructionsChicken Tikka Masala keeps beautifully for up to three days in the fridge with the flavours intensifying over time. Make sure to reheat properly, ideally on the hob, before serving. If the sauce is too thick you can stir in some extra cream or a little water.Freeze this curry in portions for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and, again, please make sure to reheat until piping hot all the way through before serving.Please note I am not affiliated in any way with Slimming World or something Weight Watchers. These weight loss plans are often updated in line with latest nutritional guidance and may change so for accurate information it is best to join as a member.
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Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on ingredients and serving sizes.