Chicken Tikka Masala Masterclass

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Cook the best chicken tikka masala at home with these simple tips and tricks to make it perfect every single time.
Serves 8

Tips
– To ensure the richest of flavours, I would recommend marinating the chicken overnight if you can.
– There are many ways to cook the chicken. You can place them on a skewer and cook on a barbecue, or place them in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes. However, for this recipe I am using a pan so that I can make use of residual oil from the chicken. 

Ingredients
12 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, chopped into bitesize pieces
oil of choice
12-14 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4” ginger, finely chopped

For the Marinade
4-5 tbsp of mustard oil
2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
1 green chilli, finely chopped
4 tbsp natural yoghurt

For the Curry
2 ½ brown onions, finely chopped
½ brown, chopped into chunks
3/4 bay leaves
4/5 green cardamom pods
5/6 cloves
2 tsp cumin seeds
4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
20 cashew nuts
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed 
1 tsp honey
3 tbsp double cream

Method
– Add 4-5 tbsp of oil to a hot pan. Heat until smokey. Take it off the heat and let it sit for 2 minutes.

– Transfer to a large bowl. Place all the ingredients for the marinade and 2 tbsp of the chopped garlic and ginger into the bowl. Mix well.

– Add the chicken and mix well with your hands to ensure the chicken is thoroughly coated. Cover and let it marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight if you can.

– Add 2 tbsp of oil to a hot pan. Add the bay leaves, green cardamom pods, cloves, and 1 tsp cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 1 minute.

– Add 2 chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft.

– Add 2 tbsp of the chopped garlic and ginger, and cashew nuts. Stir through and cook for 1 minute.

– Add the green chillies, chopped tomatoes, and 50ml of water. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

– Turn off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth.

– Add 2-3 tbsp of oil to a large, hot pan. Add the chicken and cook on high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and set aside.

– In the same pan, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add ½ chopped onion and cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes until lightly golden.

– Add 1 tbsp of the chopped garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute.

– Add the onion chunks and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato purée and a splash of water.

– Add the garam masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder, dried fenugreek leaves, and the blitzed tomato and cashew nut paste. Mix well, cover, and cook for 15 minutes on low-medium heat. If it feels dry, add 50-100ml of water.

– Add the chicken, mix well, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes.

– Finish with the honey and double cream. Mix well.

Option to garnish with some freshly chopped coriander and serve with piping hot naan.