Recipe for an easy and quick chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala is one of the most popular meals in Great Britain. It is a time-consuming dish, though. But you can put this simple version of the popular curry together in less than 45 minutes. 

Although chicken tikka masala has its roots in Indian cuisine, it is believed that the dish originated in Great Britain, thanks to the South Asian immigrant community. This recipe for an easy chicken tikka masala comes from Samuel Goldsmith. You can serve the curry with all your favourite Indian side dishes. Samuel prefers to combine this curry with white rice and naan (Dari for ‘bread’).

• Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until softened.
• Stir in the garlic and ginger, fry for 1 minute, then add the diced chicken. Fry the chicken pieces until they begin to change colour.
• Stir in the tikka masala paste, fry for a few minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes, half a tin of water and the tomato purée.
• Simmer the chicken tikka masala for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

• Pour in the cream, bring the sauce to a boil and remove the pan from the heat.
• Scatter the torn coriander leaves over the curry, if using. Serve the curry with white rice or naan and some chutneys.

Storage

You can keep this curry in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Do not add the cream to the curry beforehand if you are going to freeze it. When you want to serve the curry, defrost it if frozen and heat it until piping hot throughout. The kitchen thermometer should read 70 °C. Stir in the cream before serving the curry.