Topic: Chewy's Chicken Tikka Masala - CTM

[chewytikka]

Ooops,
My Red Masala Paste!
 
Simple, mainly Almond Powder, Ghee or English Buttermilk spread. touch of coconut cream (optional)
Sugar, Salt, pureed Carrot and Fresh Orange. Red Colour or a couple of spoons of my red masala sauce.

Melt 250g Veg Ghee/Butter Spread in a pan, med heat
Add 200g Almond Powder and quarter of the coconut block and 2 tbs of white sugar.
Just heat this through, stirring all the time on low heat, a couple of minutes and switch off.

Take another pan and boil up two or three chopped carrots until soft or you could use a tin of baby carrots.
Put the carrots in a blender and add peeled orange segments and 1tbs of red masala sauce.
Blitz this all up to a fine runny liquid/puree.

Add the carrot mix to the almond pan and mix well, heat it up again stirring all the time 3-4 minutes
should look like a heavy jam.
Taste it, a bit like Marzipan-ish Jam.

Because of the Veg Ghee or Spread it will solidify in the fridge.

Keep couple of weeks or you can freeze it.

That's it, a little bit of work, but I think its worth it.

cheers Chewy

[Achille17]

Thank you very much for sharing your recipe!

By red masala sauce do you mean this one:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,7912.msg69708.html#msg69708

[chewytikka]

Ac17
Yes, that one will be fine!

I don't cook much CTM these days, but its handy having this homemade paste and sauce
in the freezer, for when the need arises.

IMO  CTM is at its best, with freshly cooked Chicken Tikka.
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,8714.msg77625.html#msg77625

cheers Chewy

[joshallen2k]

Carrots and orange slices in a CTM - I've never seen these ingredients before.

Everything from Chewy I have tried has been great - his Madras and Tikka are my usuals.

Chewy - is this a regional variation of CTM?

I will definitely give this a try.

-- Josh

[Secret Santa]

Carrots and orange slices in a CTM - I've never seen these ingredients before.

One of the BIR curry book authors uses a tin of fruit cocktail in his masala sauce and reckons it's from a BIR so nothing would surprise me any more. 

[chewytikka]

Hi Josh
Don't know about regional variations on this one!
But this is handy if you have to make CTM regularly.

So many recipes and methods evolve in a BIR kitchen, usually triggered by what sells well
and is specifically for the English palate.

As we know each Good Chef has his secrets, this is one!
The prepared pastes like this and another for Korma are made for speed, flavour and texture.

This restaurant Chef's take on it is 100%, as they sell bucket loads of both, every day.

My video recipe is silky smooth and 100%.
Not sure which Butter spread I used for this, probably "I can't believe its not Butter" with 60% less saturated fat than the real thing. ;D ;D

Nice to have a your feedback if you have a go!
cheers Chewy.

[JerryM]

Chewytikka,

many thanks for making this post along with the yoghurt mix - has been real big help to me.

i love both the sauce (yogurt) and the paste (carrot) and adopting going forward. i liked the orange touch too.

your words on the importance of almond have been key in under standing this dish.

also been taken aback by how much effect sugar has on the dish too - not enough and the flavours don't jump out the same.

i'm on a mission to replicate red CTM for my daughter who has very fixed ideas on what it needs to taste like "modern". so far i've had to add in coconut floor (2 tbsp) so as to sit in the almond but not overpower.

the only problem left is that the dish is missing a little zing. it could be i've not got the sauce / paste balance right (using 3 tbsp carrot: 1 tbsp yog).

well pleased and almost there.

ps i also keep feeling i want to call the yoghurt mix a paste and the carrot/almond mix a sauce but the physical appearance does not allow.

[chewytikka]

Hi professor JM
Good to see you experimenting

[Gav Iscon]

........... I ran out of Madras Kebab paste but it still tastes good and tangy............

I could have brought you a tub full the other day which I have in my fridge. The big jarred stuff.

[chewytikka]

Thanks Gav
Just used the last up on the Tikka, yesterday.