Chicken tikka masala

Chicken Tikka Masala - another Indian favourite, a lovely combination of spices in a typical tomato based masala Indian sauce.

Ingredients

4 thin sliced tomatoes

2 thin sliced onions

1 little finger-width/length of ginger (julienne sliced)

5 cloves of garlic (julienne sliced)

1 green chilli

Chicken breast

3 cardamom seeds

1 pinch of fennel seeds

5 cloves

1 pinch of cinnamon

Tikka spices

½ spoon garlic/ginger paste on chicken breast

½ spoon turmeric

½ spoon chilli powder

½ spoon garam masala

Small amount of vinegar to mix

Pinch of salt

If you want the traditional pink colouring of chicken tikka add ‘red colour’ powder

For the chicken

Put chicken in a bowl and add the 'tikka spices', leave to stand for a while. Then gently fry to cook the chicken.

For the sauce

Fry cardamom seeds, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon with the garlic and ginger until golden then add the onion, chilli and a pinch of salt. Add 1 spoon chilli powder, ½ spoon turmeric, 2 spoons coriander, 1 spoon garam masala then add tomatoes and water to make a sauce. Add salt to taste and some milk or yoghurt. Add cooked chicken and leave to cook a while longer, garnish with fresh coriander and serve with rice and nan.

Aloo Gobi

ALOO GOBI - an Indian vegetarian favourite of ours, simply potatoes and cauliflower in a masala curry sauce. We learnt to make this on a cookery course in Kerala, Southern India. Perfect serves with fluffy rice from your Zojirushi and with a chapati or nan to soak up the sauce.

Ingredients

Cauliflower and potatoes chopped

3 sliced onions (very thin slices)

3 tomatoes (very thin slices)

½ spoon of garlic/ginger paste

1 big pinch fennel seeds

2 cardamom seeds

1 clove

1 big pinch cinnamon

1 green chilli

To make

Half boil potatoes with salt and a pinch of turmeric, then add the cauliflower. Once boiled you can shallow fry in oil to give colour so they are golden.

Sauce:

Fry spices in sunflower oil then add sliced onion, green chilli and pinch of salt. Also add the ½ spoon of garlic/ginger paste, 1 spoon turmeric, 1 spoon chilli powder, 2 spoons coriander, 1 spoon garam masala. Add sliced tomatoes then add water until it is a sauce.

Add the potatoes and cauliflower and mix, add a little milk (or yoghurt if you prefer) to the sauce, some larger slices of tomatoes and garnish with a bit of fresh coriander.