Tandoori chicken masala

by | Oct 29, 2020 | Recipes

Room in my larder

Like everyone else I know, I love a good curry from the local Indian when I’ve cooked enough for one day but if I’m not all cooked out I love to make my own. I always cook it at least a day before I intend to have it for dinner to allow the flavours to infuse. The best way to make a good sauce is to cook it low and slow so if you have a slow cooker bonus!
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My favourite curry is a chicken or butternut squash tikka tandoori masala, here’s my version. .

useful info

Course: Lunch, Dinner or Supper

Oven temp: n/a

Marinating time: 12 hours

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 3 – 4 hours 

Serves 6

 

equipment

Marinating bowl

Roasting tin

Heavy based saucepan (large)

Heavy chopping board

Cooks knifeingredients – marinating

1 kilo of chicken thigh

3 tbsp of tandoori spice mix

3 tbsp of mint sauce

3 tbsp of Greek yoghurt

50ml of cold pressed rapeseed oil

5g of sea salt

1 lemon

method – marinating

Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat and crap and check for little splinter bones.

Cut each thigh into 4 or 6 depending on the size.

Coat the chicken with the tandoori spice mix, lemon juice and rapeseed oil and sit for 30 minutes.

Now add the yoghurt and marinate over night.

The next day whilst the gravy is slowly simmering away cook the chicken thighs for 30 minutes on 180oC ready to add to the gravy later on.

ingredients – gravy

100ml of cold pressed rapeseed oil ( I use Bennet and Dunns)

4 onions peeled and small diced

8 garlic cloves peeled and grated

40g of peeled and grated / minced ginger

3 red peppers ( capsicum) slice into 1cm squares

800g of chopped tomatoes

100g of tomato paste

500ml water

1 tbsp of fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp of black mustard seeds

2 tbsp of coriander seeds

2 tsp of cumin seeds

1 tsp of ground coriander

1 tsp of ground cardamom

1 scotch bonnet de-seeded and finely diced

2 tsp of dried chilli flakes

1 bunch of fresh coriander – use stalks for gravy and leaves to garnish at the end.

1 tbsp of ground madras curry powder

1 tbsp of turmeric

1 tbsp of smoked paprika

100g of Greek Yoghurt

1 lime

method – gravy

Heat your pan on a medium heat and add spice seeds only – do not add the ground powders yet.

Allow the seeds to toast in the pan for 30 seconds ensuring they do not burn.

Now add the oil and onions and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until soft.

Add the diced peppers and scotch bonnet for 5 minutes then add the ginger and garlic and all the other dry powder spices.

Immediately stir in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes with the water.

Stirring occasionally allow this to simmer for 3 hours. If it starts to thicken too much just add little more water.

If you have a slow cooker put the sauce in it and go to the pub.

Once ready to eat add in the roasted chicken thighs with the lime juice and cook for a further 30 minutes.

To finish the sauce add the yoghurt, mix in well and chopped coriander leaves. Done.

serving suggestion

Serve with fragrant rice, homemade flat breads and onion bhaji with mint yoghurt. I will be posting my recipes for these soon.

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