Mark Moriarty: Two classic Indian dishes made better by their marinade

After a great response to the Chinese-style dishes a few weeks back, I’m cooking two simple Indian dishes this week. Chicken tikka masala is similar in style to the butter chicken dishes that are famed across the north of India. It is thought to have originated in Glasgow, however, in a restaurant run by a second-generation Indian family. Chicken korma is a Mughali-style dish, consisting of meat and vegetables cooked in yoghurt and stock, often using coconut as well.
Both recipes this week might appear heavy on ingredients, but each ingredient plays a role and it’s well worth sourcing them. You can of course leave some out if you can’t find them. They may also appear similar but there are some key differences. The key to both is the marinating period, where the natural yoghurt will get to work on the chicken to tenderise it.
Tikka masala uses harsher spices and tomato in the base to bring the meat to life, whereas the korma relies on softer spices and coconut milk. In both cases, the cooking should be done softly, controlling the temperature so none of the spices burn. The tikka sauce is stabilised with the addition of some cream, giving you that rich texture. I have found the korma a little unstable at times due to the addition of yoghurt and coconut milk. To avoid it splitting, I have added some cornflour to bring it all together. Serve either up with steamed rice or even just flatbread and you’re in for a treat.