Chicken Tikka Masala

• servings: 6
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Marinate:

1 cup (240g) full-fat yogurt

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon gadam masala

1 teaspoon cumin

5 cloves (5tsp paste) garlic

5cm knob (2 tbsp paste) ginger, grated

900g boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into 2cm pieces.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 capsicums, cut into chunks

1 large carrot, sliced

5cm (2 tbsp paste) knob ginger, grated, thinly sliced

3 cloves (3 tsp paste) garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 tablespoon (24g) unsalted butter

2 teaspoons sugar

400g can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup (237ml) heavy cream

1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves

salt to taste

Directions

In a medium-sized bowl, mix yogurt, salt, garam masala, paprika, cumin, garlic, and ginger.

Add chicken to your bowl, toss to coat thoroughly, and marinate for 10 minutes or overnight in the fridge.

Set a large pan over medium-high heat, and add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot and nearly smoking, add all your chicken in batches and sear for 2 - 3 minutes per side until nicely browned on all edges. Deglaze fond with water between if starting to burn.

Remove chicken, add additional oil if needed, and lower the heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, capsicums, ginger, and garlic. Season lightly with salt, and saute for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Next, add paprika, cayenne, garam masala, and sugar; saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add crushed tomatoes, stir and reduce for 5 minutes.

Add all your chicken, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the sauce is reduced.

Stir in heavy cream and reduce for 7 - 8 more minutes or until the sauce is thick and velvety—adjust salt levels if necessary.

Take off heat and stir through butter and coriander.

Serve immediately with steamed white rice.