Chicken Tikka Masala Curry

So unfortunately I don't have an actual picture of this dish because we ate it rehydrated on our week-long canoe trip through Algonquin Park. And all the credit goes to the amazing husband on this one - he did all the cooking and dehydrating and I just posed for the picture. This curry was incredible. Mouth wateringly incredible. Sweet yet tangy and it even dehydrates into a nice, light, cut-up-able sheet! On site, we added a brick of coconut solid because we needed the fat/proteins, but that'd be up to you. This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver - he recommends you marinate the chicken over night if you can, but of course we didn't do that (I'd be interested to know who thinks ahead to do these things!). Giles boys - another one you'll love. Bon appétit!

Ingredients (for 4):

• ½ fresh red chilli, deseeded (taste for spiciness!)
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• thumb-size piece of fresh ginger
• vegetable oil
• a pinch of paprika
• ½ tablespoon garam masala
• a teaspoon of tomato puree
• 3 sprigs of fresh coriander, leaves picked and chopped, stalks reserved
• 400g chicken breast, diced
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
• ½ red pepper, deseeded and sliced
• ½ green pepper, deseeded and sliced
• a pinch of ground cinnamon
• a pinch of ground coriander
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
• 100ml plain yoghurt
• 100ml double cream (again, we used the coconut solid instead...)


For the curry paste:
Blitz the chilli, garlic, ginger and vegetable oil in the food processor. Add the paprika, garam masala and tomato puree, plus the coriander stalks, and blitz again to form a paste. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, coat them with the marinade and leave in the fridge overnight.

The next day…
In a little vegetable oil, on a medium heat, fry the onion, peppers and spices in a large saucepan. Cook gently for 10 minutes then add the tin of tomatoes and the yoghurt. Add the chicken and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked. Just before serving, stir through the double cream and chopped coriander leaves.