Tikka masala curry

It's been a busy weekend with lots of socialising, catching up on long overdue phone calls, exercising, the usual housework...you get the picture.  It also was Keith the dog's second birthday on Saturday - happy birthday furry friend! 

I found a great little recipe I'd like to share with you because it's ideal for those busy times when you just need dinner to (mostly) cook itself.  I love meals that you can just throw into a pot without much preparation needed.  This one is a tikka masala curry, cooked on a low heat in the oven whilst you can get on with other stuff.  Making a batch or two of this at the weekend to have later in the week or keep in the freezer will save a lot of time and hassle and you can be sure to have a delicious meal to hand when you are short of time.

The one I made was with chicken breast but it would be equally nice with chicken thighs, lamb or beef.  Or why not make a vegetarian option with potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower etc?  We enjoyed our chicken one with rice and steamed broccoli on the side - it wasn't greasy like curries can sometimes be and had lots and lots of flavour.  We'll definitely be having this again and next time I will double the amount and put some in the freezer as well.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Have a good start to your week!




Chicken Tikka Masala (serves 4)

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (or 6 - 8 thighs), cubed

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, cut into bitesize chunks

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

3 -4 tbsp tomato puree

3 tbsp plain yogurt

1 tbsp Garam masala

1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

some fresh ground black pepper

1-2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp double (heavy) cream

3 tbsp. cornstarch

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 120 C.
2. Dust the chicken cubes with the cornflour and place in an ovenproof dish.
3. Add all the other ingredients apart from the bay leaves and stir to combine, ensuring that the chicken is evenly coated.
4. Now add the bay leaves, put the lid (or some foil) on the dish and place in the oven.
5. Cook for 2 hours on a low heat - you may need to stir it during the cooking time and possibly add a little water if the sauce is too thick (take care not to add too much though).
6. When cooked, remove from the oven, stir in the cream and serve with rice or naan bread.

You can keep leftovers in the fridge for a few days or freeze these for a later day.


(recipe adapted from tablefortwoblog.com via Pinterest)