Charcoal-Skewered Chicken Tikka Masala

Method

1. First marinade: cut the chicken into large 4 cm chunks, pat dry and toss with the lemon juice, salt and half the garlic and ginger. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. The acid and salt season the meat right through and help the second coat stick. If you use wooden skewers, soak them in water now.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs, in large chunks 320 gLemon juice 2 tspSalt ½ tspGrated garlic 1 tspGrated fresh ginger 1 tsp

2. Second marinade: mix the Greek yogurt with the Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, cumin and oil and coat the chicken thickly. Refrigerate for 2 hours (up to overnight). Thick, low-moisture yogurt clings during grilling instead of dripping off, so the surface chars properly.

   Add in this stepGreek yogurt (thick) 90 gKashmiri chili powder 1½ tspGaram masala ½ tspGround cumin (toasted if possible) ½ tspVegetable oil 2 tsp

3. Melt part of the ghee in a 20 cm pot over medium heat and fry the cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion and cashews and cook for 11 min, until the onion is deep brown and the cashews golden, then add the rest of the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.

   Add in this stepGhee 18 gGreen cardamom pods, lightly crushed 2Cinnamon stick (3 cm) 1Bay leaf 1Cloves 2Onion, thinly sliced 150 gUnsalted cashews 10 gGrated garlic 1 tspGrated fresh ginger 1 tsp

   medium heat

4. Stir in the ground coriander and Kashmiri chili powder for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, water and salt, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 min. Fish out all the whole spices, blend until completely smooth and press through a sieve back into the pot. This is what gives the restaurant-silky sauce.

   Add in this stepGround coriander 1 tspKashmiri chili powder (sauce) 1 tspRipe tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes 350 gWater 150 mlSalt (sauce) ¾ tsp

   medium-low heat

5. While the sauce simmers, thread the chicken onto 2 skewer(s), leaving small gaps, and grill over charcoal (medium heat) for 10 min, turning every 2 to 3 minutes and brushing with melted ghee halfway. It is done when the edges are charred and the thickest piece reads 75°C inside (or shows no pink when cut). No charcoal? Cook under a 250°C oven grill on the top shelf for 12 to 15 minutes.

   Add in this stepGhee 12 g

   charcoal (medium heat)

6. Slide the tikka off the skewers into the sauce. Add the cream (keep a spoonful back for the top), honey, cold butter, kasuri methi crushed between your palms and garam masala, and warm gently over low heat for 4 min. When the butter has melted into a glossy sauce, serve with a swirl of the reserved cream and the coriander.

   Add in this stepHeavy cream 70 mlHoney 1 tspCold butter 15 gKasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) 1 tspGaram masala (to finish) ½ tspFresh coriander (cilantro), chopped 2 tbsp

   low heat