Chicken tikka masala

Method

1. In a bowl, mix the chicken with the yoghurt, 2 tablespoons of the tikka paste, the juice of one lemon half and a good pinch of salt until every piece is coated. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight. While it marinates, chop the onion, grate the garlic and ginger, open the tomatoes and pick the coriander, so everything is ready by the hob.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, deep frying pan over a high heat. Shake the excess marinade off the chicken and add half in a single layer. Leave it for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges start to char, then turn and give it 2 minutes more (it finishes in the sauce). Plate it, then repeat with the rest and another tablespoon of oil.
3. Turn the heat down to medium. If the bottom of the pan has blackened rather than browned, carefully wipe it out with kitchen paper held in tongs, since burnt bits make the sauce bitter. Add the last tablespoon of oil, the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is soft and turning golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic, ginger, the last tablespoon of tikka paste and 1 teaspoon of the garam masala. Fry for 1 minute until fragrant, which wakes up the spices. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more, until it darkens a shade.
5. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the water. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce starts to thicken and the raw tomato taste has gone. For a restaurant-smooth sauce, take the pan off the heat and blitz it with a stick blender.
6. Start the rice now so it is ready with the curry. Rinse it until the water runs almost clear, then bring it to the boil over a high heat with 500ml of water and a pinch of salt. Cover, turn to the lowest heat and cook until the water is absorbed and steam holes dot the surface, 10 to 12 minutes, then leave it covered off the heat.
7. Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan. Simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, with no pink in the middle of the thickest piece.
8. Stir in the cream and the remaining garam masala and let it bubble gently for 2 to 3 minutes, without boiling hard or the cream can split. Taste, then add salt and a squeeze from the other lemon half if it needs lifting.
9. Take the pan off the heat and scatter over the coriander leaves. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve the curry over it straight away. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days and reheat gently until piping hot.