Tom Kerridge's chicken tikka masala
Double-Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge's tikka masala comes in at under 400 calories per portion - unlike a traditional takeaway dish which on average contains around 700 calories.
It may be Britain’s favourite curry but grabbing a takeaway every week is a sure-fire way to pile on the pounds, as it’s usually full of cream, oil and ghee. This is a lighter version that takes away the fat and calories, but still delivers on taste. Serving it with a raw Indian-style salad makes this an all-round fresh and delicious dish.
Recipe taken from Lose Weight for Good by Tom Kerridge
Serves: 4Calories: 640 per serving with rice / 350 without rice
Ingredients
1 large skinless chicken crown (1kg)sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the marinade:
Juice of ½ lemon5cm piece of ginger, grated4 large garlic cloves, grated2 tbsp medium Madras curry powder2 heaped tsp smoked paprikaLarge pinch of salt100g Greek yoghurt (0% fat)
For the curry sauce:
1 tbsp sunflower oil2 large onions, finely chopped2 large garlic cloves, grated2.5cm piece of ginger, finely grated1 tsp ground turmeric2 tsp paprika2 tsp ground coriander1 tbsp tomato puree400g tin chopped tomatoes300ml water1 large red pepper, cored, deseeded and chopped1 large green pepper, cored, deseeded and chopped150g natural yoghurt (0% fat)2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
For the katchumber salad:
1 small red onion, finely diced2 large tomatoes, diced1/3 cucumber (150g) dicedJuice of half a lime1 tsp chaat masala
To serve:
Coriander leaves, roughly torn320g basmati rice, cooked with salt and a pinch of saffron strands (optional)
Method
Place the chicken in a large bowl or other non-reactive dish and slash the chicken breasts. For the marinade, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread the marinade all over the crown. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to marinate overnight, or for a minimum of 4 hours.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to fan 120C / gas ½. Place the marinated chicken in a roasting dish and spoon over any remaining marinade. Cook in the oven for 2 hours (it won’t be cooked right through at this stage).
Meanwhile, make the curry sauce – heat the oil in a large saute pan. Toss in the onions and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown, adding a splash of water to the pan if they begin to stick. Add the garlic and ginger with a splash of water, stir well and cook for 1 minute. Add the spices with some salt and cook for another minute.
Stir in the tomato puree and cook for a further minute, then tip in the tinned tomatoes and pour in the water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to gently simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add the chopped peppers and cook for a further 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
Take the chicken out of the oven. Wave a cook’s blowtorch over the surface until the marinade has slightly blackened in places. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
For the katchumber salad, mix everything together in a bowl and set aside (no need to chill).
Take the chicken breasts off the bone and cut the meat into chunks, about 2.5cm. Reheat the curry sauce, then add the chicken and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the pieces are cooked through. Stir though the yoghurt and chopped coriander. Taste to check the seasoning.
Serve scattered with coriander, with saffron rice, if you like, and the katchumber salad alongside.