Chicken Tikka Masala

– remove all the bones and fat from the chicken and cut the breast into cubes. Set it aside and proceed with the marinade;
– in a large bowl, mix Greek yogurt, garam masala, smoked paprika, freshly grated ginger, lime juice and a pinch of salt;
– add the chicken cubes to the bowl and, before mixing, mash the garlic cloves onto it. Stir carefully until the meat is completely covered, cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours;
– after 8 hours, remove it from the fridge and let it rest so that it returns to room temperature. At this point, transfer it to a baking tray folded with baking sheet;
– bake it in a preheated oven in ventilated mode at 220°C for about 20 minutes, or till well browned;
– in the meantime, proceed with making the sauce. Peel the onion and the garlic and finely chop both. Cut the chili pepper in half, remove the center seeds and finely chop it too;
– transfer them into a large non-stick pan, add the pinch of salt and pour the extra virgin olive oil too;
– put the pan on the stove on medium heat;
– as soon as the oil starts to sauté lower the heat to minimum, cover the pan and let the vegetables simmer slowly;
– remove the lid, then add the smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin. Turn up the heat and toast for about a minute;
– pour the tomato puree, add the brown sugar and then cover with a lid and continue cooking over medium heat for about 10 minutes;
– work the mixture with an immersion blender to make it smooth and creamy, then add the coconut milk;
– mix and continue cooking for another 2 minutes;
– add the chicken to the sauce and stir to blend;
– remove the pan from the stove, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve the Chicken Tikka Masala served with some warm jasmine rice.