Chicken Tikka Masala

RECIPE:

Ingredients

• 5  tbsp vegetable oil
• 25g ghee (butter can be used)
• 4 onions , roughly chopped
• 6 tbsp chicken tikka masala paste ( ready made can be used or make your own – see below for recipe)
• 2 red peppers , cut into chunky pieces and deseed
• 9  boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
• 2 x 400g canned tomatoes
• 1-2 packets of  tomato purée
• 3 tbsp mango chutney
• 150ml cream
• 150ml yogurt
• chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

            Tikka masala paste

• In a food processor, whizz  5 garlic cloves, 1 large knob of root ginger, 1- 2 red chilli, deseeded, 2 tsp each ground cumin, 2tsp coriander, 1 tsp each of turmeric, paprika and garam masala, and the seeds from 4 cardamom pods. Add a little water or vegetable oil to bring the paste together.

Method

1. Heat the oil and ghee in a pot, then add the onions and a pinch of salt, let this cook for 15-20 minutes until the onions are soft and golden. Add the tikka masala paste and peppers, and then cook for further 5 minutes for the spices to blend in.
2. Add the chicken and stir well coating in the paste. Cook for 2 minutes or so, and then pour in the tomatoes, purée and 200ml water. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Remove the lid, stir through the mango chutney, cream and yogurt, and then gently warm through. Scatter the rest with coriander leaves could be serve with basmati rice.
4. Rice
1. Heat the ghee in a pot about 25ml, add 2cups of rice and coat the ghee in.
2. Add double amount of water in respect to the rice, 4 cups of boiling water, constantly stir and watch the rice to ensure that it is cooked to perfection.