How to Make a Great Tikka Masala

In restaurants the tikka meat is marinated and cooked on skewers in a tandoor oven leaving the chicken really succulent and juicy. The masala is the deep orange-red sauce which is delicately spiced and should be flavoured with a cashew paste to give a very slight nutty texture then finished with a splash of cream. In my dish I like to marinade peppers and onions with the chicken and cook them on a griddle or under the grill to try and mimic the smoky flavour you get from the coals in the tandoor oven yet leaving the meat tender and bursting with warming flavours. I use freshly blended tomatoes to give a lovely deep orange glow to the sauce rather then using any food colouring which has no place in my Indian kitchen. The dish is finished with a little cream which leaves a sauce rich with spices in a thick cream and tomato flavour base with just a hint of cashews.