Lina Gautam's Chicken Tikka Masala: Healthy Appetite
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 4 chicken breasts cubed
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 cm square ginger peeled
- ½ a sweet potato (cut into cubes)
For the marinade:
- 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 4 tsp vegetable oil
Ingredients for sauce:
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 4 fresh tomatoes or 8 tablespoon plum tin tomatoes
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek leaves (or powder)
- 1 tsp salt or to your taste
- 1 tsp sugar (or less, adjust to your taste)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 4 tbsp cashew nut (soaked in hot water for 5-10 minutes)
- 2 tbsp of low fat yoghurt
- Pinch of plain flour
- Pinch of orange food colouring (optional)
- Big handful of fresh coriander
For the Rice:
- 120 g basmati rice
- 80 g red lentils with skin
- 600 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- Olive oil
- Bouquet Garni of whole spices (5 cardamom pods, 6 cloves, 8 black peppercorns and 1 3-inch cinnamon stick in a muslin cloth tied with kitchen twine into a small pouch)
Method
- First, use a pestle and mortar to pound 8 cloves of garlic into a rough paste. Add a 2cm piece of ginger and pound again. You will use this for the marinade and the sauce.
- Begin by preparing the marinade for the chicken. Add the natural yoghurt, salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, lemon juice, garam masala, vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of the garlic/ginger mix to a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken breast pieces to the marinade and stir until all the pieces are well coated.
- Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour. Once marinated spread the chicken pieces out on a roasting tray along with the sweet potato. Place under the grill until cooked through and until the chicken is slightly charred.
- While the chicken is cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the cumin seeds, fenugreek leaves, salt, onion and sugar. Cook until onions are soft. Next add the tomatoes, garam masala and the remaining garlic & ginger mixture. Simmer on a low heat for a few minutes.
- Remove the chicken and sweet potato from the grill. Add the sweet potato to the sauce, stir to combine and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Add approximately 100ml water and stir.
- Transfer the sauce to the blender, add the pre-soaked cashew nuts and blend until sauce is smooth, adding more water if needed. Return to the pot. Mix the flour with the yoghurt and add to the sauce. Add a drop of orange food colouring (optional).
- Add the chicken to the sauce, stir and leave simmering on a low heat. Add some water if the sauce is too thick.
- Meanwhile, add all the ingredients for the rice to a saucepan and boil until cooked. Remove the bouquet garni and strain the rice.
- Serve the curry with the rice and garnish with fresh coriander.
Fat: 37g
Sugar: 5g
Fibre: 7g
Dietitian’s Tip! Add a side of fresh vegetables for a vitamin boost.