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Tandoori Garlic Curry

Tandoori Garlic Chilli Chicken Curry

documentingmydinner
The best Indian curry in my view. Loads of chilli and garlic in a homemade curry sauce with tandoori chicken pieces.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

For the Curry Base

  • 3-4 Onions Finely sliced
  • 7 Garlic cloves
  • Fresh ginger (thumb sized piece)
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 4 Green Cardamom pods
  • 1 tbsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp Ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp Chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp Garam Masala
  • 2 Tomatoes Finely chopped
  • 200 ml Passata
  • Sunflower or Vegetable oil
  • Salt

For the Tandoori Chicken

  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts Diced
  • 1 Lemon Juiced
  • 3 tbsp Natural yoghurt
  • 2 Garlic cloves Grated
  • Thumb sized piece of fresh ginger Grated
  • 1 tbsp Chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp Ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp Garam Masala
  • 2 Fresh green chillies Finely chopped
  • 1 Small bunch fresh coriander Finely chopped
  • Salt

For the Tandoori Garlic Chilli Chicken Curry

  • 6 Garlic cloves Finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp each Grated garlic and ginger
  • 3-5 Green finger chillies Finely sliced (Plus a few whole chillies, if you like)
  • 1 tsp Chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp Garam Masala
  • 1 tbsp Tandoori Masala
  • 1 tbsp Tomato puree
  • 300ml Base curry sauce
  • 1 Green pepper Sliced
  • 1 Lime Juiced
  • 1 tbsp fenugreek leaves Dried or fresh
  • Sunflower or vegetable oil
  • Salt
  • Fresh coriander To serve (optional)

Instructions
 

For the Tandoori Chicken

  • Mix the diced chicken with 2 tbsp lemon juice and a tsp of salt. Allow to sit for 15 minutes in the fridge
  • Take the chicken out the fridge and mix in the remaining tandoori chicken ingredients. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours, or overnight.
  • When you have made the curry base, and are ready to make the rest of the curry, grill the chicken. Lay the chicken pieces on a grill pan and grill under a high heat for a few minutes on each side until charred. It doesn't need to be cooked all the way through at this point as it will cook again in the curry sauce.

For the Curry Base

  • This curry base recipe will likely make slightly more curry base than you need. The rest can be frozen or used for another curry recipe. It can also be made a day in advance.
  • Finely chop three of the garlic cloves. Add about 2cm of oil in a frying pan and add the finely chopped garlic. Cook until golden brown, but watch and not burn it or it will taste bitter. Drain, retaining the oil, and keep the crispy garlic in a bowl to use later.
  • Add a tablespoon of the garlic flavoured oil into a large saute pan and heat over a medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook gently for 20 minutes until deep brown and golden.
  • Blitz the remaining 4 garlic cloves and the ginger with a teaspoon of the garlic oil in a blender until you have a paste.
  • Add the paste, the cinnamon stick, cumin, coriander and chilli powder to the pan.
  • Bash the cardamom pods with a knife and add to the pan. Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes
  • Add the diced tomatoes, passata and top up with water to cover. Season with about a teaspoon of salt and simmer for 15-30 minutes until thick and saucy. If it looks too dry whilst cooking, add a little water.
  • Stir through the crispy garlic and check the seasoning. The curry base is now ready to use or can be cooled and refrigerated for up to two days.

For the Tandoori Garlic Chilli Chicken Curry

  • Add about a tbsp of the garlic oil to a large frying pan with high sides and heat over a medium high heat. Add the sliced garlic and green chillies and a pinch of salt and fry for around a minute.
  • Add the grated garlic and ginger and the spices. Stir for a further minute.
  • Stir through the tomato puree for thirty seconds or so.
  • If using more whole green chillies, add now. Add the base curry sauce and allow to come to a simmer. Simmer for five minutes before adding in your grilled chicken and the sliced green peppers. Simmer for five more minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and stir through about 2 tbsp of lime juice, the fenugreek and fresh coriander, if using.
  • Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before serving with rice, naan or your sides of choice.
Keyword Chilli, Curry, Garlic, Indian