Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 800 g chicken breast
• 250 g natural yogurt
• 50 g fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large onion(s), finely diced
• 400 g tomatoes, pureed
• 250 g cream
• some butter
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Garam Masala
• turmeric
• Cumin powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Coriander powder
• Chili powder (Kashmiri chili powder) optional
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and place in a large enough bowl. Add half of the ginger and half of the garlic to the meat along with the yogurt. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and mix everything thoroughly. Instead of the cayenne pepper, you can also use 1 teaspoon of the milder Kashmiri chili powder. Let the whole thing sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight if possible). Once the meat is cooked through, heat a little vegetable oil in a large pan or pot. When choosing a pan, make sure it is large enough to hold all of the meat and sauce. In the pan, fry the marinated chicken pieces in batches until golden brown, then remove from the pan and keep warm. Only fry enough pieces at a time to ensure they are nicely golden all over. Do not cook thoroughly; the meat will finish cooking in the sauce later. Leave any leftovers in the pan; they will give the curry a light roasted flavor. Once all the meat is seared and kept warm, melt a little butter in the pan and sweat the onion for about 3 minutes until soft. Add the rest of the ginger and garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Now add 1.5 tsp garam masala, 1.5 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp coriander and sauté for another 20 seconds, until the spices begin to smell. Immediately pour in the passata and season with 1 tsp cayenne pepper (plus 1 tsp Kashmiri chili, if you like) and 1 tsp salt. Stir well and simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Tip: If you like it spicier, you can of course add more cayenne pepper or hotter chili. Stir the cream and sugar into the sauce. Add the chicken pieces, stir well, and simmer for another 8-10 minutes until the meat is cooked. If the sauce gets too thick, thin it with a little water. Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.