Chicken tikka masala plus a shortcut

This 'classic' Indian recipe was actually invented in the UK and is one of Britain's most popular meals, outranking even fish and chips in some parts. Here's an original version as well as a cheat's short cut ...

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1kg chicken breast fillets, cubed

10ml (2 tsp) salt

45ml (3 tbsp) lemon juice

15ml (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 cloves garlic, crushed

5ml (1 tsp) cumin

5ml (1 tsp) paprika

Pinch cayenne pepper

100ml cream

5ml (1 tsp) garam masala

Oil, for brushing

Sauce:

60ml (4 tbsp) oil

1 large onion, sliced into rings

15ml (1 tbsp) ginger, peeled and grated

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled

15ml (1 tbsp) ground coriander

2.5ml ( tsp) turmeric

5ml (1 tsp) cayenne pepper

10ml (2 tsp) paprika

60ml (4 tbsp) plain yoghurt

2 large tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

350ml chicken stock

5ml (1 tsp) salt

Generous pinch of garam masala (see Grill Hills)

Small handful fresh coriander, chopped

Method:

Place chicken in glass bowl and rub with salt and lemon juice. Set aside for 20 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, cream and garam masala. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Once chicken has marinated, preheat the grill and thread chicken pieces onto kebab sticks. Brush chicken with oil and grill on both sides until cooked.

Prepare the sauce while chicken is marinating. Heat oil in large non-stick pan and fry onions for about 6-7 minutes until golden brown. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry. Add coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper and paprika and fry over high heat for a minute. Add the yoghurt 1 tbsp at a time, stirring until absorbed. Add tomatoes and fry till pulpy, mashing with the back of a wooden spoon. Add stock and salt and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Stir in garam masala and coriander.

Add chicken to sauce (on or off skewers) and heat through. Serve immediately with rice and trimmings of your choice.

Based on a recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Ultimate Curry Bible (Ebury Press).

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA ON THE RUN

Serves 4

Ingredients:

375ml (1½ cups) tomato passata

30-45ml (2-3 tbsp) ready-made tikka masala curry paste

1 punnet (400g) ready-cooked tikka chicken fillets

125ml ( cup) cream

Salt

Handful fresh coriander

Method:

Heat the passata in a saucepan until simmering. Stir in curry paste. Add chicken fillets and cream (add extra cream if you prefer more sauce). Bring to a gentle boil and cook till chicken is well heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with coriander and serve with basmati rice, poppadams or rotis.