This is such a simple recipe and best made in a large batch, then frozen and brought out when required.
Melt your butters in a pan over a medium heat, it is good to use a mix of two..
- 100g (2 oz) butter
- 100g (2 oz) pure butter ghee
Then add in your ginger and garlic with a little water and fry off a little for a few minutes, don’t brown OR burn, and add your tomato paste to cook off a little
- 80g (3/4 oz) ginger root, peeled and blended to puree with a little water (100g fresh root)
- 24 large garlic cloves, peeled and blended to puree with a little water (2 large heads)
- 8 tsp tomato purée (paste)
Add the spices mixture and keep the heat on a medium to low. Fry off gently to temper your spice, but don’t burn or brown it. This is really important. I suggest mixing all spices in one bowl to add them all at the same time and stir.
- ¼ of a fermented lemon (this is made from leaving fresh lemons cut into 4 with a large amount of salt in a jar for 6 months)
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tsp ground coriander
- 2.5 tsp chilli powder
- 4 tsp tandoori masala
- 4 tsp salt
- 3 tsp sugar
Quickly add the tinned tomatoes and mix in well which will cool your spice. Also wash out the cans with water into each other and add a few cans of fresh cool water.
- 2000g (1 lb 2 oz) tomatoes (5 tins)
- 2 or 3 cans of water
Cook the mixture for around 10 minutes and then use a hand blender to blitz the sauce still very smooth. Cook off for a few more minutes.
Now add cashews and cream and gently simmer for around 10 minutes…
- 180g (6oz) ground cashew nuts
- 150ml (5 fl oz) double cream
If you are adding a meat to this dish, add in your pre-cooked or part cooked chicken now. You can pre-marinade this how you like. Jamie Oliver has a good example here. Also add in your final spices and cook for at least another 10 minutes.
- 20 green cardamom pods blitzed into a very fine powder – also potential to grind after blitzing.
- 8 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
If you have frozen the sauce you need to defrost before use and gently reheat on a saucepan before use. It may be useful to add a little water to the mixture to stop it sticking and also stir continuously.
You may also add a little garam masala to the mixture to pep up the aromatics before serving and some fresh fenugreek leaves.
