Make-Ahead Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• 2 x Dunnes Stores Free Range Boneless Irish Chicken Thigh Fillets (400g), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 100g natural yoghurt
• 120g Dunnes Stores Tandoori Paste
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 red pepper, roughly diced
• 1 onion, roughly diced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 100ml double cream
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

To Serve

• Cooked basmati rice
• Coriander leaves

Method

1. Combine the chicken, yoghurt, and half of the curry paste in a bowl. Season well with salt then cover and place into the fridge for at least 4 hours to marinate.
2. When ready to cook, heat half of the oil in a large saucepan and set over a medium heat. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Keep stirring so the garlic and ginger don’t catch.
3. Stir in the pepper and onion and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. Add the tomato purée, tinned tomatoes, and the remaining curry paste, along with the garam masala and a good pinch of salt. Bring everything to the boil and leave to cook for about 30–40 minutes, blipping away, until the sauce has thickened considerably. As the sauce thickens, it may splutter, so part-cover with a lid if you'd like.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook for 6–7 minutes, until nearly cooked through and nicely charred.
5. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer everything together for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the cream and lemon juice and cook for a further 5 minutes.
6. Serve in bowls with rice and lots of chopped coriander.

To Freeze: Cool the curry completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.