Basic recipe for Indian Tikka Masala

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• oil
• 4 onions
• 10 cm ginger
• 4 chili peppers, more or less depending on size and spiciness
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 can/n tomatoes, chunky
• 2 tsp, heaped garam masala
• 2 tsp, heaped turmeric
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

versatile, with meat or vegetables

Peel the onions and ginger and chop into very small pieces. Chop the chilies. Fry the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Then add the ginger pieces and crushed garlic and continue frying over medium heat until even more browned. Be careful, though, as ginger burns easily on the bottom of the pot! Then add the tomatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes even more brown. Add the garam masala and simmer for a few more minutes. Finally, add the turmeric and season with salt, and cook for just one more minute. This base can be used in many other ways. You can also divide the sauce and add various other ingredients. Lentils, finely chopped chicken breast or lamb, or vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, go very well with it. Simply add them to the sauce and cook. Serve with rice, naan bread, and lassi. Our daughter brought this recipe back from an exchange in England. The host family’s Indian grandfather gave her the recipe. The best thing about it is that you can combine the sauce with virtually anything, allowing you to accommodate special requests. The spiciness can also be easily varied.