Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4

For the marinade/Chicken Tikka:

• 750g chicken breasts cut into 4cm chunks
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tsp of mild paprika
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• A few drops each of red and yellow food colouring
• Seeds from 12 green cardamom pods
• 25g garlic, roughly  chopped  
• 25g peeled ginger, chopped
• 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 25g ghee

Cut the chicken breasts into 4 cm chunks, put into a bowl with the lemon juice, chilli powder, paprika, and turmeric.  Toss together well.  Set aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a dry, heavy based pan over a medium-high heat.  Add the cumin seeds, and shake them around for a few seconds until they start to smell aromatic.  Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.  Set aside one teaspoon for the sauce.  Add the cardamom seeds to the rest and grind once more. 

Put the ground cumin and cardamom, garlic, ginger and yoghurt into a food processor and blend.  Stir into the chicken, and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Because there is no salt in the marinade, it is possible to leave the chicken, refrigerated in the sauce, for up to 24 hours)  

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp ghee
• 200g onion, finely sliced
• 15g garlic, crushed
• 25g peeled ginger, grated
• 1½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ tsp mild paprika
• 225g tomatoes, finely chopped or can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 120 ml single or heavy cream
• 300ml boiling water
• 3-4 green cayenne chillies
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1½ tbsp of lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• Salt to taste

Heat the ghee in a large pan.  Add the finely sliced onions and fry for 6-8 minutes until soft and richly golden.  Add the crushed garlic and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes more.  Add the reserved cumin, freshly ground coriander, chilli powder and paprika and fry for a further 1-2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and fry until they have broken down into a sauce. Add the tomato puree, ground almonds, 300ml boiling water and salt (approx , ½ tsp) and simmer for 10 minutes.


Take the pieces of chicken out of the marinade and thread on to metal skewers (or wooden ones, but make sure you soak the wooden ones 30 minutes before using!).  Stir the remaining yoghurt marinade the cream, green chillies (split open) and garam masala into the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes until a little reduced.  Meanwhile heat a ridged, cast iron griddle over a high heat, lower heat to medium and brush griddle with a little oil.  Brush the chicken, on skewers, with some melted ghee and cook for 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and charred in places.  Push the chicken pieces off the skewers into the sauce bring back to a simmer.  Add the lemon juice and chopped coriander and simmer for 1-2 minutes, then serve.