Chicken Tikka Masala with Rice Recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee
500g diced chicken leg
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
A thumb of ginger
400g vine tomatoes
50g tomato ketchup
1-2 tbsp tikka masala spice mix
Sea salt
200ml water (hob method) or 600ml (slow cooker)
300g white basmati rice
100g baby leaf spinach
A large handful of coriander
150g Greek style yogurt

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 1 hr 15 mins- 6 hr 15 mins

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Method

1. Place a frying pan or casserole dish on the hob for 1 min. When warm, drizzle in 1 tbsp oil or ghee and add the diced chicken leg. Fry for 8 mins, turning once, till browned all over, then lift into a bowl.

2. While the chicken browns, peel and finely slice the onions. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger. Finely chop the tomatoes. From this point, follow either the slow cooker or the hob method.

3. Slow cooker: Tip the chicken into a 3½ltr slow cooker. Keep the pan you cooked the chicken in on the heat and add the onions – no need to add more oil. Fry, stirring, for 4-5 mins to slightly soften them. If they seem a bit dry, add a splash more water.

4. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions and fry, stirring, for 1 min. Tip the onion mix in to the slow cooker with the chicken. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato ketchup and 1-2 tbsp tikka masala spice mix, depending on how strongly spiced you'd like your dish. Add a good pinch of salt. Gently stir together, then pop the lid on the slow cooker.

5. Set the slow cooker to medium and cook for 6-7 hrs, or for a faster stew, set the slow cooker to high and cook for 5-6 hrs, or set it to low and cook for 8-10 hrs.

6. When the chicken has 20 mins left to cook, prepare the rice by rinsing it under cold water then tipping it into a pan. Pour in 600ml boiling water from your kettle. Add a pinch of salt. Cover. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat right down. Very gently simmer for 8 mins till all the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat. Leave the rice to steam in the pan, lid on, for 5-8 mins while you finish the chicken.

7. Roughly chop the baby spinach leaves. Finely chop the coriander stalks and roughly chop the leaves, keeping them separate. Stir the yogurt, coriander stalks and the spinach leaves into the chicken. Pop the lid back on for 1-2 mins to wilt the spinach and warm the sauce.

8. Taste the curry and add more salt if you think it needs it. Serve the chicken tikka masala with a plenty of fluffy rice, topped with a scattering of the coriander leaves.

9. On the hob: Scoop the chicken onto a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook gently for 10 mins, stirring often, till glossy and lightly coloured.

10. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 1 min. Meanwhile, fill your kettle and boil it.

11. Add the chicken back to the pan. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato ketchup and 1-2 tbsp tikka masala spice mix (according to taste). Pour in 200ml hot water from the kettle and add a good pinch of salt. Gently stir everything together then pop on the lid. Bring to a bubble then simmer for 1 hr, adding more water if you need to.

12. When the chicken has 20 mins left to cook, prepare the rice by rinsing it under cold water then tipping it into a pan. Pour in 600ml boiling water from your kettle. Add a pinch of salt. Cover, bring to the boil then turn the heat right down. Simmer for 8 mins till all the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat. Leave the rice to steam in the pan, lid on, for 5-8 mins while you finish the chicken.

13. Roughly chop the baby spinach leaves. Finely chop the coriander stalks and roughly chop the leaves. Keep them separate. Stir the yogurt, coriander stalks and spinach leaves into the curry. Pop the lid back on for 1-2 mins to wilt the spinach and warm the sauce.

14. Taste the tikka masala and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Serve the curry with plenty of fluffy rice, topped with a scattering of the coriander leaves.