Paneer tikka masala

I love a good indian take away, but I also like to make my own; as I like knowing exactly what I'm eating. It also enables me to control how much oil there is in the curry. Not all Indian curries are greasy, however the tikka masala is a 1970s curry house favourite. It is also sometimes, just what you need.

It was Friday and I was working from home, so I took the time to prepare this deliciously rich paneer tikka masala. It has wonderful sweetness from the cinnamon and a beautiful warmth from the cloves and cardamon.

Whilst it might seem that there are a lot of ingredients and processes for making it, it is relatively simple.

What you will need
Panner tikka
3 green cardamon pods
4 whole cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tea spoons grated fresh ginger
3-4 chopped green chillis
1 table spoon tomato puree
1 table spoon garam masala
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tea spoon sugar
1/2 table spoons crème fraiche (or yoghurt)


Heat a table spoon of oil in a pan. Add in the crushed cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick. Fry these off for a minute before adding the chopped onion. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies, tomato puree, and the garam masala. Cook for 1-2 minutes to release the fragrance and cook the spices.

Add the tinned tomatoes, the same amount of water, a pinch of sugar, and salt. Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the crème fraiche or yoghurt and return to simmer. Add the paneer tikka and heat through before serving with rice or breads.

Gipsy spread also had a white fish fried in some dry curry spices.