Considering my last few articles have concerned themselves with puddings, I think it is only right to go for savoury this week. Curries are a staple food in many households, and my own is no exception, but they are also very popular with students as they require little effort or utensils in addition to being relatively quick. I have made many different curries, but a good tikka masala has eluded me as I have always found them to be quite bland or underwhelming when compared to a dhal or Thai green curry. However, through trial and error, I have come up with this recipe that is rich in both flavour and substance. 

Ingredients 

• Olive oil or butter
• Onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• Stem of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp mango chutney
• 100ml double cream
• Either paneer, chicken, or prawns
• Chopped coriander, toasted flaked almonds, and a dollop of yoghurt

Heat the oil or butter in a heavy-based frying pan, and sauté the cumin seeds until they become fragrant. Add the onions and fry until softening and slightly golden at the edges. Add the grated garlic and ginger, along with the chopped chilli and all the spices, until everything starts to come together. Once you have something that resembles a paste, stir in the tomato puree and tin of chopped tomatoes, as well as the mango chutney. At this point, if you are using prawns or chicken add them to the pan, making sure that you fried the chicken in garam masala until golden beforehand (no need to do this with the prawns). Let it simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the double cream and paneer (if using), then allow to simmer for a few more moments. Stir in a little more mango chutney then take off the heat and garnish with chopped coriander, toasted flaked almonds, and a dollop of yoghurt.