Tandoori Chicken Tikka Masala
The UK’s favourite takeaway dish, upgraded with a big ol’ A&O spice infusion! This recipe is a far cry away from the boring ‘home-made’ curries you might be used to, that usually can’t compete with their restaurant counterpart dishes… But this one can… This one laughs in the face of restaurant curries, and can be made in less than 1hr!
Ingredients for the Tikka Marinade:
3 Large Chicken Breasts or 500g Paneer
1 cup Plain or Greek Yoghurt
2 TBSP Veg Oil
1/2 Lemon
3 tsp Tomato Puree (double concentrate)
2 tbsp A&O Tandoori Tikka Gold Rub
1/4 cup Fresh Coriander (leaves and
stems chopped)
2 tbsp Mint Sauce or Jelly
Ingredients for the Masala Sauce:
100ml Veg Oil
3 Medium Onions (finely sliced)
4 Garlic Cloves (grated)
Thumb sized piece of Ginger (grated)
1/4 cup Tomato Puree (double concentrate)
1/4 cup Ground Almonds (or Almond
Flour)
2 tbsp. A&O Tandoori Tikka Gold Rub
250ml Coconut Cream
200ml Water
1 tbsp Mango Chutney
1/4 cup Sugar
Sea Salt for seasoning
For the Masala Sauce:
Pre heat a pan (cast iron preferred) on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, add the veg oil, the sliced onions, season with salt and mix. Cook the onions slowly for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t caramelise. When completely softened and all the moisture has cooked out, and they begin to fry, add the grated garlic and ginger and cook out for 2 minutes until the raw garlic smell has gone away. Now add the tomato puree, and cook for another minute. If the bottom is catching at all, lower your heat slightly. Add the A&O Tandoori Tikka Gold Rub, and cook for another minute, then add the ground almonds, and cook for another minute. Then turn up the heat to med-high and then add the coconut cream a splash at a time, and incorporating fully then waiting until you see the oil rise to the top of the mix before adding more coconut cream. Add the sugar, mango chutney and mix well, then the water and mix until fully combined. Cook for for a further 5-10 mins, taste for seasoning, and add more salt and/or A&O Tandoori Tikka Gold if desired. Finally, pour the mixture into a liquidiser (or use a stick blender) and blend until completely smooth. You can add more water if you want a looser sauce.
This sauce can be made the day before and usually will taste even better when re-heated. It will thicken as it cools down so a splash of hot water may be required after reheating.
For the Tikka Marinade:
Cut the chicken breasts down the middle lengthways then into even cubes (you should get 8-10 pieces per breast depending on the size).
If using Paneer, cut similarly into chunky cubes.
Mix the remaining marinade ingredients until thoroughly combined, then add your chicken or paneer pieces. You can marinate overnight but it is not essential. When ready to cook, pre-heat your grill or BBQ to a high heat and thread your chicken pieces onto metal skewers. Grill until charred and fully cooked, then combine with the warm curry sauce and coated well.
To serve, garnish with a splash of cream, chopped coriander leaves and flaked almonds (if you’re feeling fancy) and serve with fluffy pilau rice, pillow soft naan bread for mopping up that awesome sauce, poppadum's and mango chutney.