Kasia's Chicken Curry

Fancy adding a little kick to your Friday Night Fakeaway? Well this should do just the trick. This is my take on an almost chicken tikka masala - but better in my opinion! A zingy, fresh and truly scrumptious dish that goes well with jasmine rice and crunchy poppadoms. If you're used to using chicken breast, why not try chicken thighs- they are much better value and are actually a tender option when cooked.  

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:

800g Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs (cut into bitesize pieces)

1 cup of Plain Yoghurt

2 tbsp Garlic Paste

1 tbsp Ginger Paste

2 tsp Tandoori Masala 

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Chilli Powder

2 tsp Garam Masala

1 Lime Juiced

Salt and Pepper

Sauce:

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil 

2 tbsp Butter (or Ghee)

2 Small Onions (or 1 Large)

2 tbsp Garlic (can use paste, I like to use fresh for sauce)

1 tbsp Ginger (same as garlic- fresh or paste)

1 1/2 tsp Tandoori Masala 

1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Ground Coriander

400g Tomato Puree or 1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1 tsp Hot Chilli Powder (adjust to taste)

Handful of fresh Parsley 

Handful of fresh Coriander

1 1/4 Cups Heavy Cream 

1 tsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp Salt

Serve With:

Jasmine Rice

Naan Bread

Popadoms

Chopped Coriander to Garnish

Wedge of Lime 

Mango Chutney

Method:

1. In a large bowl, place the chicken pieces in with the marinade spices, yoghurt, lime juice, garlic, ginger and salt & pepper. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinade in fridge for at least 1 hour- marinade over night for best results.  

2. After marinading, heat oil in a large pan, and fry the chicken in batches to ensure the pan is not over filled during the cooking process. Leave cooked chicken to the side in its juices for later. 

3.  To a blender, add your tomatoes, fresh garlic, ginger, parsley and coriander (leaving some of the fresh coriander to garnish when serving) and blend.       

                                       

4. In a pan, fry your onion until softened then add the spices and cook off on a low to medium heat until fragrant.               

                                                           

5. Once spices have cooked for about 1 minute, add the blended tomatoes. Cook this through for 10 - 15 minutes on a low a heat, brought to a simmer. The sauce should thicken and turn a deep brown colour.

      6. Stir in the cream and add the sugar. Then add the chicken, with its juices into the pan. Cook this for about 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbling. You can add some water to thin if sauce is too thick.

7. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, naan/ popadoms. This curry is also well accompanied by mango chutney and a slice of lime- whatever your preference is! Enjoy!