Quick Chicken Tikka Masala.

This recipe is from the book 'The Collection' by James Martin and was suprisingly simple to make yet really tasty. For those that do not like spicy food, all I can say is that this meal is very creamy with a slight hint of spice overlain by citrus. The recipe given below will provide enough for 4 people.


I love the way the ingredients are so colourful, it is visually stimulating even before you get the scents mingling together. (on a side note, I used fresh ginger root for the first time with this meal and I have to say it smelled even better than I expected)

So, the ingredients:

1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Juice of 2 limes

2 tbsp vegetable oil

salt and pepper, to taste

4 chicken breasts, skinned and sliced into strips (I cut these further into large cubes)

1 onion, finely chopped

300ml double cream

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Mix the ginger, garlic, chilli, turmeric, half of the coriander, 1 tbsp of oil, the lime juice and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir well to ensure that all of the pieces are coated in the mixture. Place everything in the fridge for 10 - 15 minutes.

The above photo shows the chicken marinade just before going in the fridge.

Sweat the onions in a large pan with the remaining oil (this is where my sautee pan comes in useful). To sweat onions means to cook them until they are just softening and look gleaming and a little damp. Add the chicken and all the marinade ingredients to the pan and cook on a medium to high heat for 4 - 5 minutes.

Add the double cream and simmer until the meat is cooked through (probably 3 - 4 minutes). Season and add the lemon juice to taste, adding the remaining coriander.

Serve with a naan bread and/or rice.

Finally, here is a photo of the prepared meal.