Chicken tikka masala for two

Chicken tikka masala is a delicious, spicy and hearty meal, which originates from India, but is now popular all over the world. And the good news for the fans of the chicken tikka is that it can be easily prepared at home! Below we show you a fast and easy way to make this meal.

The chicken tikka masala is a really popular Indian food (Photo: pexels.com / Chan Walrus)

500 g of chicken thigh fillets (cut into medium sized cubes)

For the spice mixture:

2 teaspoons of cumin

1 teaspoons of turmeric

1 teaspoons of ground coriander

2 teaspoons of paprika

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon of black pepper

For the chicken and sauce:

1 big onion, chopped

4 dl yogurt

2 tablespoons of grated ginger (separated)

0,5 can of peeled tomatoes

200 ml cream

50-60 g butter

salt, to taste

First, mix all the ingredients required for the spice mixture (listed above).

Put the chicken thigh fillets into a bowl and put 2 tablespoons of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of ginger and half of the spice mixture onto it. Mix it all together, then cover it, and put the whole bowl into the fridge for a while.

Put the chopped onions and ginger into a saucepan and cook them on oil until they become light golden brown, then add the remaining half of the spice mixture.

Cook just a few seconds more, then add the cream and the tomatoes into the pan, and let it cook for a few more minutes.

Once the whole sauce is cooked, take the pan off the cooker, and make a smooth puree using a mixer. If you find the sauce too thick or too spicy, you can add some yogurt into it.

Preheat the oven to 200-230° C. Line a pan with parchment paper, and put grills onto it.

Get the chicken thighs out of the fridge, put them onto the grills, and grill until one side gets golden. Then, turn the meat, and grill until the opposite side becomes golden too. Make sure the inner parts get properly cooked: before taking the rest out, you can check one of the thighs by cutting it into half to see if it's ready.

Once they're cooked, you can chop them into smaller cubes, if you'd like to. Add the chicken into the sauce, cook it for a few minutes, and finally add a little (half a stick, 50-60 g) of butter into it.

Now you're ready with your chicken tikka - you can serve it along with rice, naan bread or even salad.

Anita Diós

September 2018