Chicken Tikka Masala Manifesto

If the way to a chap is through his stomach, then I must be thoroughly beaten. I admit it: I am mad for masala. Chicken tikka masala, to be exact. It has been a favourite of mine for years. I recently experimented with the following tikka masala recipe and the results, I can report, were far above average. Note, there must be dozens of tikka masala recipe variations and although the following worked for me, it might not work for you, so a little trial-and-error might be required. Good luck!

1 pound chicken tikka (marinate chicken in a store-bought tikka or tandoori paste and yoghurt. Grill or barbecue until just cooked)
1/2 inch root ginger peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
salt as desired
2 ounces unsalted butter
1 onion finely chopped
quarter teaspoon turmeric powder
half teaspoon ground cumin
half teaspoon ground coriander
half teaspoon garam masala
half teaspoon chilli powder
4 fluid ounces chicken juices from grilling/warm water
10 fluid ounces cream
2 tbsps ground almonds

*Note: Items in bold can be purchased individually or in a commercially-available Tikka Masala mix.

1. Pulp together ginger/garlic and some salt - melt butter and fry onions until soft - add pulp and cook for few minutes.

2. Stir in all powdered spices and cook for few minutes.

3 Add juices and water to make a thick sauce. Warm through, then add cream and heat through gently.

4. Now add the cooked chicken and cook for 10 minutes in the sauce.

5. Stir in the ground almonds and simmer for 5 miutes or so.

Serve with saffron rice and naan bread.