A chicken curry needs an ingenious masala sauce. Whether it was created by the British or the Indians, for food blogger Julia Uehren, the main thing is that it tastes fruity and creamy.

Cologne – The origin of this dish is inimitable in India, the intense aroma of the many spices leaves no doubt about it. However, masala sauce was invented in Britain because Britons prefer to eat their meat with lots of sauce. The then Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, is said to have even described the dish as Britain’s national dish.

Anyway: the sauce is perfect for tikka masala because the chicken breast fillet can’t taste dry. Instead, the tomato sauce brings a fruity note to the dish. And the right portion of cream gives the curry a wonderfully round taste.

Ingredients for 5 servings:

600g chicken breast, 300g basmati rice

For the marinade: 2 cloves of garlic, 1 piece of ginger (5 cm), 15 g of coriander (fresh), 1/2 lemon, 125 ml of yogurt, 2 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp of paprika powder, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp tandoori seasoning

For the sauce: 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 pcs cardamom (capsules), 1 tbsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 /4 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp ground almonds, 2 cans diced tomatoes (400g each), 150g whipped cream, salt, 15g coriander (fresh , for garnish)

Preparation:

1. Wash the meat to be marinated (preferably the day before!), dry it with kitchen paper and cut it into pieces of about 1-2 cm.

2. Prepare the marinade: peel the garlic and ginger and coarsely chop them. Wash and dry the cilantro. Squeeze the lemon. Purée these ingredients with the yoghurt and spices in a blender until a fine mass is obtained. Marinate the meat for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.

3. Place the meat and marinade on a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees high and low for about 20 minutes until the edges of the meat are golden brown. At the end, if necessary, turn on the grill for a few minutes.

4. Prepare the sauce: peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the onions and garlic until soft. Firmly squeeze the cardamom pods to open the pods. Put the spices and sugar in the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until a delicious smell develops. Add the ground almonds, crushed tomatoes and cream, stir and simmer for about 20 minutes, uncovered, over medium heat.

5. Prepare basmati rice according to package directions.

6. Remove the meat from the oven and stir it into the sauce. Let everything simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.

7. Wash the coriander, shake it dry and tear off the leaves. Serve the basmati rice with the chicken tikka masala and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

More recipes also at https://loeffelglück.de dpa