Tikka Masala

Indian food is very popular in London – curry dishes even show up on the pub menus.

At the spice booth in the Borough Market, so many choices, but zeroed in on the tikka masala (ingredients: coriander, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, annatto, paprika, ginger, garlic, chilli, salt, citric acid).

The vendor gave me a printed recipe and I headed back to break in my kitchen.

Our spotless kitchen (photo taken an hour after we moved in),

it hasn’t looked like this since.

For the marinade: 1 garlic clove, small piece of ginger, 1Tbsp tikka spices, 200g Greek yogurt, handful chopped coriander, 400g free-range chicken breasts, cut into chunks.

Blend the garlic, ginger, and coriander in a food processor to form a paste (you made need to add some vegetable oil). In a bowl, mix this paste with the spices and the yogurt to make the marinade. Rub all over the chicken pieces and leave in the fridge overnight.

Note: Needless to say my full service apartment is not equipped with a food processor so a somewhat sharp knife and cutting board did the job.

The next day, grill the chicken for about 5 minutes (turning them a couple of times to prevent them from burning), just long enough to give them a golden color but not cooked through.

Note: I cooked them in my one and only skillet, at least it was nonstick.

For the sauce: vegetable oil, 1 onion chopped, 1 red pepper sliced, 1 tsp tikka spices, 400g chopped plum tomatoes, 100ml yogurt, 100 ml double cream.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and spices. Cook slowly for 10 minutes and then add the tomatoes, peppers and the yogurt, stirring. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked. Just before serving, stir in the cream and add some freshly chopped coriander.

Whole grain basmati rice boiling on the back burner

while tikka masala simmers on the front.

Voila!

Tasted even better the second night.