Curry (chicken tika masala) - home recipes.

[Black Sheep]

I'm a good cook, even if I say so myself and struggle to grasp the concept of 'temperature control' due to having learnt to cook on scout camps with a fire that had a hot end and a cool end and a twin ring gas burner that had on, kind of on and off.

I can cook most things and get a bit bored of re-heating things from the freezer unless its something such as scampi and chips etc, but the one thing that has eluded me until now is my favourite take-away

chicken tika masala
most supermarket sauce jars are a bit watery and don't taste like the take-away does, so.

anyone got a favourite recipe they're willing to share?

thanks.

 

[User169]

This is the one I use...

http://annerecommends.blogspot.nl/2012/03/chicken-tikka-masala.html

It's a bit of a faff to be honest. I think there are nicer curries which are easier to make.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

No recipe here unfortunately, but you might find it worth asking on Shaun's food forum.

 

[Black Sheep]

This is the one I use...

http://annerecommends.blogspot.nl/2012/03/chicken-tikka-masala.html

It's a bit of a faff to be honest. I think there are nicer curries which are easier to make.

Thanks,

seems to be for making kababs more than my favoured 'dunk your naan in and hope for the best' style.

I'll give it a go when I've dug out the food processor, think its in a box somewhere along with everything else!

 

[Black Sheep]

No recipe here unfortunately, but you might find it worth asking on Shaun's food forum.

There's a food forum?

... Done.

 

[mangaman]

[QUOTE 2178751, member: 259"]When I asked at the local Indian restaurant, he told me to add about three times more double cream and butter than I thought was enough, and then add a bit more...[/quote]

This is the nubbins.

The 1st rule of restaurant cooking, according to Anthony Bourdain, when asked why home cooking tastes different to restaurant food, is start evey dish by adding butter and end every dish by adding butter

My favourite Indian recipe book is by Vicky Bhogal - here is her chicken curry : not a chicken tikka masala, but nicer and much healthier and simple

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/aug/20/foodanddrink.shopping

I would recommend Vicky Bhogel's book "Cooking like Mummiji" - it is one of the few cookery books that changed my culinary life.
She produces garam masala, tells you how to freeze freeze ginger and coriander. With this, an onion, a tin of tomatoes and Vicky's guide to how to cook a tarka, you can produce a lovely curry out of anything just using pre-prepared stuff and whatever is to hand.

 

[02GF74]

She produces garam masala, tells you how to freeze freeze ginger and coriander. .

she must be a genius if she can tell you that, I mean peel it , place it in a plastic bag and then into the freezer compartment? Or is it more complicated than that?

 

[mangaman]

she must be a genius if she can tell you that, I mean peel it , place it in a plastic bag and then into the freezer compartment? Or is it more complicated than that?

More complicated

I wasn't clear, but she starts by recommending a complex garam masala which you dry roast and blend yourself.

Grate ginger and freeze it in teaspoon shaped portions (exactly enough for one of her recipes)

Blitz a load of fresh green chillies and put them in an ice cube tray and freeze (again 1 cube is about enough for one recipe depending on the chilli)

Coriander is simple - just chop a whole load and freeze.

Once done, you can just reach into the freezer and have 3 fresh ingredients for any curry and the perfect spice blend.

Not rocket science, but I didn't do it before, I do it now and can produce a lovely, fresh tasting curry out of virtually nothing (a potato and some frozen peas for example)

 

[Diggs]

Don't ever use sauces, if you do use jars make sure it's paste that you purchase (even the wonderful Mrs D has had to make convenience adjustments to her cookery since the diglets came along)

 

[ttcycle]

Yep agree with the above -it will have loads of ghee (clarified butter), yoghurt and some cream. You want tomatoe puree or chopped toms in there. The spices themselves- tiny bit of garam masala, grated onion, black cardamom, coriander seeds, bit of chilli- dry fry the spices etc

If you want something quick go for a paste and add whatever to it- never as nice as made from scratch though as you can tweak it to exactly how you like it

 

[TheDoctor]

Well, my one's not quite CTM but it's pretty palatable.
Quantities for two, but it's scalable.

Chop an onion as finely as you can manage / be bothered
Fry over a medium heat in oil or butter till it's browned off and starting to caramelise.
Chop garlic and ginger. Add to the onion, carry on cooking.
Chop up some chicken. I use boneless thigh fillets - one or two each, depending on greediness.
Add them to the pan as well, carry on frying
Now - add some curry powder. I don't know how much, because they all vary. Just don't add too much.
You'll see why later.
If you've got any cardamom pods, grind a few up and get them in. Cumin, too, if you've got it.
Get a tin of tomatoes and blitz it with a hand held mixer if you've got one. Add to your pan and turn the heat down. Simmer it.
Add about a 1/4 pint of milk. It will curdle on contact, due to the acid in the tomatoes.
Cut about 1/2 inch off a block of solid creamed coconut. Get that in, and stir it as it melts.
Once that's all sorted out, try the sauce. If it's a bit bland yet, don't worry.
Here's the fix.
In another frying pan, get a handful of frozen lamb mince frying. Add as much tikka / tandoori spice mix as you think you'll need to get the dish as lively as you'd like. Try the mince, and add more spices as necessary.
Mince cooked? OK.
Get back to the original pan, throw the mince in, and a 1/2 teaspoon of mint sauce.
Yes, the stuff you put on roast lamb. Trust me.
Stir well, give it a minute, and you're done. Serve with naans.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

It's a bit of a faff to be honest. I think there are nicer curries which are easier to make.

A glowing recommendation!

 

[naminder]

Well, my one's not quite CTM but it's pretty palatable.
Quantities for two, but it's scalable.

Chop an onion as finely as you can manage / be bothered
Fry over a medium heat in oil or butter till it's browned off and starting to caramelise.
Chop garlic and ginger. Add to the onion, carry on cooking.
.

You will need to add the ginger before the garlic, as it takes slightly longer to cook. If you add the 2 together, you overcook the garlic and won't taste as nice

 

[defy-one]

chopping the onions as fine as you can, the turka comes out better whuch in turn gives you a better taste