Chicken Tandoori Masala

We British love a curry (from the Tamil word 'kari' meaning spiced sauce). There are two Indian restaurants for every Chinese restaurant in the UK, and in London alone, there is a greater number of Indian Restaurants than there are in Bombay and Delhi combined! Blimey.

Chicken Tikka Masala remains the most popular Indian dish and is thought to originate in Britain, after an enterprising Indian chef had the idea of adding a tomato and onion paste to grilled chicken, to satisfy the British preference for food that isn't dry.

 

I remember the days, when we’d all go trooping down to the local Indian restaurant after half a dozen pints too many, and order the hottest curry in the house. Half way down we’d either start crying, pass out, or accuses the restaurateur of Indian witchcraft and refuse to pay the bill. Either way, it was always messy.

These days, I rarely crave stopping out till 3am then hitting Sangam’s for a hot one, although I very much still crave my curry. Nottingham Trent University studies show that people begin to crave curry due to the fact that the spices arouse and stimulate the taste buds… Here’s a delicious Tandoori Masala recipe that Mrs Trenthamfolk knocked up the other night, and went down a treat. Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

·         4 free range chicken breasts/thighs or a box of king prawns if you’re feeling posh

·         I Jar of red Tandoori paste

·         One large onion

·         Garlic if desired

·         One large tin of good quality chopped tomatoes

·         1 medium pot of Greek yoghurt

·         1 small pot of single cream

·         Basmati Rice

1)         Add the jar of Tandoori paste to the yoghurt and mix well

2)         Dice the chicken into bite sized pieces and mix with the paste/yoghurt mix and place in the fridge to marinade for a while (1-2 hours minimum).

3)         Slice the onion and crush the garlic. Stir fry the chicken and yoghurt/paste mix in an open pan over the onion until the chicken is cooked through. You want the onion to retain a little bite.

4)         Add the chopped tomatoes and reduce the heat to a simmer. Reduce the sauce down to the desired consistency.

5)         Add the single cream to taste, and reduce down again if required.

6)         Finally, served with basmati rice and a bottle of Cobra… or three… and enjoy.

This recipe will fill your house with delicious aromas and you shouldn’t feel the need to throw up afterwards. By the way, did you know the ‘Balti’ means ‘Bucket’?