Chicken Tikka Masala from Scratch

Step 1

Heat the ghee or oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. When visibly hot, stir in the chopped onions and fry for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. You could even fry them on a lower heat for longer which will bring out their natural sweetness but do not brown them.

Step 2

Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry over medium high heat for about 30 seconds to cook out the rawness.

Step 3

Now stir in the ground almonds, coconut milk powder, curry powder or garam masala, paprika, tandoori masala, cumin and ground coriander. Stir this around in the pan to coat the onions.

Step 4

Because of all the spices used, it will look quite dry in the pan. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and about 125ml (1/2 cup) unsalted chicken stock or water. Bring to a simmer and then take off the heat to cool some.

Step 5

Place the cooled sauce in a blender and blend until really smooth. Pour the blended sauce back into the pan. It will look way to thick right now so add about 250ml (1 cup) unsalted chicken stock or water and bring to a rolling simmer.

Step 6

Add the cooked chicken. If using raw chicken, you will need to ensure it is cooked through. When the chicken is heated/cooked through, it’s time to fine tune this curry!

Step 7

If your sauce is too runny, cook it down. If it’s too thick, stir in a little more water or stock until you are happy.

Step 8

Stir in the cream and add lemon juice. Add the kasoori methi by rubbing it between your fingers into the sauce and season with salt to taste.

Step 9

Dust with the garam masala and garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro).