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Chicken Tikka Masala – Air-Fryer

July 3, 2015 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

Friday nights – when all you want to do is get home, put your feet up and watch some telly while tucking into your favourite takeaway.

Chicken Tikka Masala
                                                                             Chicken Tikka Masala

But here are some staggering facts about the eating habits of Britons and how many calories are consumed on an average with a takeaway meal. According to Tefal’s ActiFryday Report:

  • From a study of the 5 most popular dishes, it was found that the nation consumes 12,400 tonnes of saturated fat through takeaway’s alone.
  • Brits eat up to 2900 calories and 161 grams of fat in their most popular takeaway meal.
  • Friday is the most popular day to order.

Not surprising then the survey revealed this shocking statistic –

BRITONS FEAST ON MORE THAN 12,000 TONNES OF SATURATED FAT FROM TAKEAWAYS EACH YEAR

Am sure you are as shocked after reading these statistics as I was. So naturally when Tefal asked me to take on their Actifryday challenge – to swap a typical Friday night takeaway for a healthier alternative –  I was in.

Tefal Actifry XL
Tefal Actifry XL

I decided to give the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe that they sent me a go. Why? Because  I have always been very intrigued by the recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala – a dish that I only ate when I first came to the U.K a few years ago. CTM, as it is popularly called, is, without doubt, the nations favourite British-Indian curry. Part of its popularity is attributed to the fact that its origin is quite disputed and many have staked a claim as to the dish being their own invention. While some believe that it was dish born out of necessity to satiate the British palate’s need to serve chicken in a gravy which can be mopped up with naan or rice, it is also believed that it is a variation of butter chicken. Many also firmly believe that it’s rooted like in Mughlai cuisine and it was one of the many culinary inventions that were born to suit the English palate when the migrant population from post-partition India, Pakistan and Bangladesh came into Britain. Of course, I was not going to follow the recipe without making some changes of my own. I normally make all my own masala’s and marinades from scratch and all of them can be stored and/ or frozen to be used later. I used half of the tikka masala paste I made and froze the rest. Find my easy recipe for tikka masala on my blog here.

Tikka Masala Paste
Tikka Masala Paste

Since this is a recipe which aims to reduce the fat content the double cream that normally goes in the curry is replaced by low-fat natural yoghurt. Figuring out how to use my new Tefal Actifry XL was not difficult at all and the instruction booklet is quite simple to follow too. Once the removable parts have been hand washed and dried completely, I set about making a Chicken Tikka Masala. Here is my modified version of the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe:

Chicken Tikka Masala – Air Fryer Recipe

Manjiri Chitnis
Make a lighter version of this hugely popular Indian dish and create your own 'fake'away with my easy to follow recipe for my homemade Chicken Tikka Masala, the air-fryer version
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Fusion Indian
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Air-Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2cm pieces
  • 100 g Tikka Masala curry paste
  • 2 pots 150g size natural low-fat yoghurt
  • 1 ActiFry spoon of vegetable Oil
  • 1 Large finely chopped onion and made into a thick paste
  • 390 g canned premium chopped tomatoes made into a puree
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 1 onion gravy flavour pot – I used Knorr
  • 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
  • 150 ml of water
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sugar – I used a substitute -Natvia
  • 2 teaspoons on lemon juice
  • Salt as per taste
  • Handful – Fresh coriander leaves – chopped fine – to garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl mix the Tikka Masala paste with 4 tablespoons of yoghurt. Add the chicken in the coat then cover. Leave the marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight – this will ensure the flavours have really seeped in, into the chicken
  • Heat oil in ActiFry for 2 minutes. Add the onion paste and cook for 5 minutes. I simply chopped the onion fine in my food processor and sprinkled some water to give it movement and gave it 2 spins at low speed. The result was a thick onion paste which is a much better way to use the onion in this recipe in the Actifry
  • Add the marinated chicken and cook for another 10 minutes. This ensures that the Actifry is hot enough to bruise the ends of the chicken giving it a similar treatment to what the griddle pan will. But of course, the bruising is minimal and cannot be compared to grilling the meat. But this is where the addition of smoked paprika in the chicken tikka paste plays a big role as it works with the chicken and the cooking process to impart a much better smoky effect than without
  • In a small glass bowl crush the chicken stock cube, add the onion gravy flavour pot and smoked paprika and pour 2 tbsp of hot water. With the back of a spoon mix well until a thick paste is formed
  • Add the tomato puree, the mixture with the stock and water cook for another 10 minutes. Add salt to taste but keep in mind that the chicken stock cube contains a lot of salt, so taste some of the gravy base before adding additional salt
  • Remove the CTM into a bowl and then stir in remaining yoghurt. Then add the sugar and mix well
  • Add the lemon juice mix well and top with a handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves
  • Serve with steaming hot basmati rice, jeera rice or naan
Keyword Chicken Tikka Masala

If you would like to view the original recipe from Tefal click here. To save time you can purchase the tikka masala paste too.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala

Both hubby and I were quite satisfied with this low-calorie version of CTM and it definitely can hold it’s own in terms of taste. Of course, the texture of tandoor grilled chicken tikkas and the unmistakeable creaminess of double cream is missing. But it’s a win-win on 2 very important factors :

  • Saving on unnecessary calories from the grease and oil from a takeaway. Thus eliminating the risk of eating artery-clogging saturated fats.
  • Tefal Actifry is easy to use and very easy to cook in. With a little effort and planning it’s not at all difficult to produce a delicious curry – a healthier alternative to your takeaway- at home.

The Tefal ActiFry Express XL is available from John Lewis RRP £249.99, subject to availability and price may differ.

*With thanks to Tefal for sending me a Tefal Actifry XL for review. No request was made for a positive review.No monetary compensation was provided. As usual, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala

Filed Under: Food, Indian, Meat, Recipe Index Tagged With: # ActiFryDay, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Tikka Masala healthier recipe, gadget reviews by travels for taste, Have a happy ActiFryDay, Healthy recipes, low fat yoghurt, reduce calorie intake, shocking facts about takeaway food, take the ActiFryDay challenge, Tefal ActifRy XL, tikka masala paste recipe, travels for taste, travels for taste is a food and travel blog based in London

Tikka Masala curry paste

July 3, 2015 by manjirichitnis 1 Comment

Chicken Tikka Masala is the poster child for British Indian cuisine and definitely tops the list of the nation’s favourite curry. CTM as it is popularly known as is also the top choice for a Friday Night takeaway when ordering in Indian food.

Like any good curry, it’s best to use a homemade marinade, so if you can spare some time, it’s best to make your own tikka curry paste. I made mine and here is a simple recipe that you can use. The quantity is enough to marinade 1 kilo of skinless, boneless chicken breast pieces. I used 5000 gm of chicken for my CTM so the rest is in my freezer and can continue to live there for at least 2 months – I don’t think it will though because am sure the craving for a curry can strike sooner rather than later. Actually the tikka paste can be used as a starter marinade for grilled chicken kebabs as that is what is the basis of a good CTM. Or can be used for marinating even meat or fish to grill or as part of a curry dish.

Tikka Masala curry paste

Manjiri Chitnis
Print Recipe
Course Ingredient
Cuisine Indian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Half a red chilli de-seeded
  • 2 medium-sized Kashmiri chillies
  • 2 heaped tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 2 heaped tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp coriander and green chilli puree
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 1 tsp roasted coriander seeds powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt as per taste

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan heat the oil
  • Reduce the flame to a minimum then add the bay leaf and the dried red Kashmiri chillies, which add flavour and colour and not heat.
  • Then add in the ginger-garlic paste. Stir for 30 seconds before adding in the garam masala, that will allow the ginger garlic paste to mix well with the hot oil but prevent it from drying up the oil.
  • Once the garam masala is mixed well with the paste and the oil add the screaming dry spices and mix well. Allow to cook on a very low flame for under a minute and then add the coriander and green chilli puree. (Again, I make my own puree – simply spitz 2 large bunches of fresh coriander leaves with two small Indian green chillies, add some water in a small food processor to make a thick puree. This can be frozen and used for many curries and sabzi’s or bhajee’s as we call them in Marathi. I store mine for upto 3 weeks)
  • The smoked paprika will work with the chicken while making the curry and impart a fabulous smoky flavour that is hard to miss.
  • Allow the paste to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it does not burn or become too dry.
  • The water content in the coriander and green chilli mixture will totally dry out and you will be left with a dark reddish-brown paste

Looking for an easy yet delicious Chicken Tikka Masala recipe to make at home? Try my super-easy Air-Fryer Fakeaway version here and let me know what you think of it in the comments below!

Tikka Masala Paste
Tikka Masala Paste

Like any marinade, there are many things that been added or omitted according to one’s preferences. For example, the red chilli can be eliminated to reduce the heat. A small pinch of sugar can be added to balance out the green chilli too. Also, a small amount of water can be sprinkled to give the paste a more fluid consistency if required.
I use the dried Kashmiri chillies and the bay leaf later in the curry base and did not purree the tikka paste further. Why?  Because the garam masala already contains both these spices. After marinating the chicken with the paste, the same Kashmiri chilli and the bay leaf can be added to the hot oil, to impart fragrance and colour.

Tikka Masala Paste
Tikka Masala Paste

Did you follow my recipe? Please let me know in comments, I love reading your comments and feedback.

Snap a picture of your creations and use the hashtag #travelsfortasteblogrecipe and share it to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and I will re-post it.

Filed Under: Curry - Meat, Seafood, Food, Indian, Recipe Index Tagged With: British Indian cuisine, easy Indian recipes, gadget reviews by travels for taste, home made Tikka Masala curry paste recipe, In the kitchen with travelsfortaste, Manjiri's easy Indian recipes, recipe developer, recipe development, Tikka Masala curry paste, Tikka Masala curry paste recipe, travels for taste, travels for taste is a food and travel blog based in London, travels for taste recipe development

Roasted mini Romanesque cauliflower with dukkah yoghurt dip

May 25, 2015 by manjirichitnis 16 Comments

I do hope some of you may recollect me mentioning that Cauliflower is one of my beloved vegetables, and after I found mini cauliflower and mini Romanesque cauliflowers it was love at first sight, in my mind, they run rings around even the baby courgettes and baby leeks! I mean they look like beautiful little green diamonds, such a beautiful shape, almost too pretty to be eaten!

Mini Cauliflower and Romasque  Cauliflowers

Mini Cauliflower and Romanesque Cauliflowers

I just had to bring these beauties home and rustle up something tasty and easy with them. I have written earlier about the many health benefits of cauliflowers and how they are an aid to weight loss. But here are some fun facts for you:

Every 100gm of cauliflower i.e 1 cup has:

  • 25 calories
  • Total Carbs only 5 grams
  • Total Fat 0.1 grams
  • Vitamin C – 77%
  • Vitamin K – 20%

I have been obsessing with the idea of whole roasted Cauliflower and today I was craving something different for tea. I did not want to load on excess and unwanted calories and wasn’t interested in deep-fried stuff at all.

So I tweaked the original recipe and used fragrant baharat, a fabulous Middle Eastern with dried rose petals and hints of smoked paprika for a kick and roasted cumin. This simple snack makes for a perfect tea time treat especially if like me you are craving cauliflower bhajji/fritters ( bhajji in Marathi is a deep-fried vegetable fritter coated in spiced besan ie. chickpea flour)

I decided to dry roast two cauliflowers and coat two on the four mini cauliflowers just to see how the taste varies when coated with a greek yoghurt marinade.

Ingredients

  • 2 baby cauliflowers
  • 2 baby Romanesco broccoli or the Romanesque cauliflower
  • 3 large heaped tablespoons Greek yoghurt
  • 3.5 tsp baharat
  • 2 tsp dukkah

Method

  • In a small bowl add 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt and add and mix well 2 tsp baharat
  • Pick one each of the baby cauliflower and the baby Romanesco broccoli or the Romanesque cauliflower and coat it completely with the seasoned yoghurt marinade.
  • Place them onto a baking tray.
  • Then take the remaining baharat in another dry small bowl and coat the other 2 cauliflowers thoroughly.

Mini Cauliflower and Romasque  Cauliflowers marinated

Mini Cauliflower and Romanesque Cauliflowers marinated

  • Bake in a preheated oven for  20 minutes at 180° C
  • Make a quick dip with the remaining yoghurt topped with dukkah

Mini Roasted Cauliflower with a Dukkah dip

Mini Roasted Cauliflower with a Dukkah dip

  • Serve with hot Turkish tea for a Mediterranean Treat.

Mini Roasted Cauliflower with a Dukkah dip

Mini Roasted Cauliflower with a Dukkah dip

Filed Under: Food, Recipe Index, Vegetarian Tagged With: baharat, dried rose petals, dukkah, gadget reviews by travels for taste, Greek yoghurt, Mini Cauliflower and Romasque Cauliflowers marinated, recipe, recipe developer, recipe development, roasted cumin, Roasted mini Romanesque cauliflower with dukkah yoghurt dip, Romanesco broccoli, Romanesque cauliflower, smoked paprika, travels for taste, travels for taste is a food and travel blog based in London, travels for taste recipe development

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