Bread and Molasses

It’s February, it’s cold and I need a kick in the rear to get anything done… So, on Sunday, when I plopped my tired bum down on the couch in front of a bowl of this scratch-made chicken tikka masala after a full day of cooking, I proclaimed it the perfect antidote to winter blues. It’s warm and comforting but has enough heat to jolt some life back into you.

Chicken tikka masala, naan and beer - one of the most comforting meals I've put together in a while.

I made the chicken tikka masala with MJ as part of our first ”cooking day” during which we made three freezer-friendly dishes for the week ahead. I have a post brewing on “freezer cooking” and “pantry stocking” in the works for you and was planning to include this dish in that post, but I couldn’t wait. And given we made everything from scratch (or just about… hey, who cans their own tomatoes and makes their own coconut milk anyways?), I figured it deserved your full attention and a post all its own.

Chicken tikka masala - a closer look.

Step 1: Garam masala
Makes about 10 tablespoons (you’ll have leftover – and that’s a good thing!)
Garam masala is a spice mix commonly used in indian cooking. You’ll need some for the curry paste.

• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tsp cardamom seeds (removed from their pods)
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 stick of cinnamon

Warm the spices separately in a dry pan to the point where they become fragrant. Crush them all together using a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder.

Step 2: Tikka masala curry paste
Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food

Tikka masala paste. It can be made in advance. Next time, I'll try marinating the chicken in it for a few hours before cooking. Hmm... I wonder how this paste would freeze...

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 fresh red chili pepper
• a small bunch of fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp ground almonds

Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan. Peel the garlic and ginger. To make the paste, either place all of the ingredients in a food processor with the toasted spices, garlic and ginger OR chop and mix everything by hand.

Step 3: Make the curry
Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food
Makes 4 portions

• 4 skinless, chicken breasts
• 2 medium onions
• 1 fresh red chilli (we used a nondescript orange chile because that’s all we could find!)
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
• a small bunch of fresh coriander
• vegetable oil
• a heaping tablespoon of butter
• 1/2 a cup of tikka masala curry paste
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can of tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 can of coconut milk (400 ml)
• Sliced almonds for garnish

Onions, ginger, coriander stalks and chiles melting away in the pot right before the curry paste and chicken go in.

Slice the chicken breasts lengthways into thick strips. Peel, and finely slice the onions. Finely slice the chili pepper. Peel and finely slice the ginger. Pick the coriander leaves and put to one side, then finely chop the stalks.

Put a large pot on a medium to high heat and add a few tablespoons of oil and the butter. Add the onions, chili pepper, ginger and coriander stalks and cook for about 15 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Add the curry paste and the chicken strips. Stir well to coat everything with the paste and season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on. Check the curry regularly to make sure it’s not drying out. Adjust by adding some water, if required. My curry was quite liquid to start with because I used light coconut milk, which is thinner (and less tasty…) than full-fat.

Serve with a spoonful of plain yoghurt and sprinkle with sliced almonds and coriander leaves. To round out the meal, consider roasted cauliflower and rice. Whatever you do, don’t forget the naan bread! Perfect for moping up the sauce…