Indian cuisine is preferred in all parts of the world, mainly due to its distinct taste and spice. Over the past few years it has crosses boundaries and is prevalent in all the top notch cities of the world. Be it in a restaurant in United kingdom or in United states this is a popular dish on every menu card. Chicken tikka masala has a taste that leaves one crave for more, A great dish that goes along with nan(Indian bread) and jeera rice likewise.

Chicken tikka masala is a very popular dish among many cultures and here is a step-by-step process to let you master it right in the comfort of your home. Indian cooking would be incomplete without the use of aromatic spices and flavours. The subtle and sophisticated use of spices and herbs creates the world of difference to the way this chicken is prepared. There are two steps that follow in making this dish -- firstly the marinating, and second the sauce (gravy in authentic terms).

Ingredients for the gravy:

· 5 oz. tomato paste

· 10 oz. tomato puree

· 4 tbsp ginger garlic paste

· 2 tsp green chilies

· 1 tbsp red chili powder

· 2 tsp cloves

· 8 green cardamom

· 3 tbsp butter

· 2/3 cup heavy cream

Don't forget the magic ingredient -- salt

Ingredients for the marinade:

· 1 tablespoon tikka masala

· Red chili powder

· 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

· 150g thick yoghurt

· 2 chicken breasts each cut into 6-8 large chunks

· Salt to taste

Firstly and foremost, you would want to induce some taste into the chicken, everyone knows that chicken on its own does not have any particular taste. Hence we need to add a flavour that sets this dish apart. mix all the ingredients of the marinade with the chicken, cover and leave it overnight in the fridge. Let all the herbs be absorbed in it and the resultant chicken is juicy and tender.  In Indian restaurants and road side dhabas, you will find tandoors, which are specially lit up for this dish. The smell and aroma of the charcoal will give an aromatic flavour to the chicken pieces. To make it at home, preheat a conventional oven to 220ºC or a fan, Wipe the marinade off the chicken and place, piece by piece, onto a baking tray. Drizzle some oil for that glossy and reddish look, you would bake it for say 12 to 15 minutes. You may want to just soften it the rest the gravy will take care of it.

For the sauce, Put tomato paste and tomato puree in a pot and add approximately 4-1/4 cups of water. Add ginger and garlic paste, green chilies, red chili powder, cloves, cardamom, and salt to the sauce. Cook over low heat until reduced to a thick sauce.  Seive this sause and bring it to desired consistency by adding butter and cream. Finally add the tikka pieces and cook for another 5 minutes and you are done.

Suggested garnishing would be finely chopped coriander in a platter and a final touch of lemon slices and slit chilies would nail it.