Naga chicken tikka curry

Step 1

Make your spice mix. Cut up your green chilies if using. Make your naga chicken tikka.

Step 2

DIlute your curry gravy with 3 tablespoons of water. You need to dilute it because the chicken is going in pre-cooked.

Step 3

Combine the tandoori masala, kasoor methi, salt, naga pickle and oil in a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken.

Step 4

Add the chicken and combine with the marinade. Use tongs. This stuff will stain your fingers.

Step 5

Marinate for about an hour. Pre-heat your oven to 400F while this is going on. Place a sturdy baking sheet in the oven to pre-heat.

Step 6

Transfer the chicken (again, use tongs) to that pre-heated, sturdy baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for about 6 minutes. Flip all the pieces and return to the oven. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. This should take another 4-8 minutes or so. Really depends on how big your chicken thigh pieces are. Set aside.

Step 7

Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan until the oil just starts to shimmer.

Step 8

Add the cassia bark. You should see little bubbles forming around it. Cook for about 30 seconds.

Step 9

Stir in the garlic ginger paste and green chilies (optional). Cook until the garlic ginger paste stops sputtering.

Step 10

Turn your heat down to medium low and add your spice mix. This is why you added 3 tablespoons of oil. You want to fry your spices in the oil. If you skimp on the oil you risk your spices sticking or burning. If your spices burn here you are starting over. Cook the spices for about 30 seconds.

Step 11

Add the Indian hotel curry gravy. Stir it really well to get the oil to combine with the curry gravy. You want everything mixed together at this point. Bring to a simmer.

Step 12

Cover loosely and cook for about 5 minutes.

Step 13

Add 1/2 tsp of naga chili pickle and the coconut milk and stir. Taste. Decide if you want more naga pickle flavour and heat. Creep up on it. I love the taste of naga pickle but it does get pretty spicy fast so be careful.

Step 14

Decide at this point whether you want the sugar or not. It's optional and it depends whether you like that little hint of sweetness in the background.

Step 15

Add the naga chicken tikka. Continue to cook for about 1 minute to warm the chicken through.

Step 16

Serve to your chili head friends.