Chicken Tikka Masala and Ratatouille

🍳 Today’s Culinary Picks:

🍛 Chicken Tikka Masala

The icon of Anglo-Indian cuisine—tender chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and spices, grilled in a tandoor or on a barbecue, then simmered in a creamy tomato sauce with garam masala. Serve with naan or basmati rice.

Ingredients (serves 4):
• Chicken breast — 600 g (cubed)
• Plain yogurt — 200 g
• Lemon juice — 2 tbsp
• Garlic — 4 cloves (minced)
• Ginger — 2 cm (grated)
• Turmeric — 1 tsp
• Ground paprika — 2 tsp
• Garam masala — 2 tsp
• Tomato paste — 2 tbsp
• 20% cream — 150 ml (or coconut milk)
• Onion — 2 (finely chopped)
• Garlic — 2 cloves (extra)
• Salt, pepper, vegetable oil — to taste
• Cumin seeds — 1 tsp (optional, for garnish)

Marinade:
Mix yogurt, juice of half a lemon, garlic, ginger, turmeric, paprika, 1 tsp garam masala, salt, and pepper. Add chicken, stir, and marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight is better).

Method:

Sear the chicken in a pan with oil until golden (~4 minutes). Remove.
In the same pan, sauté the onion until translucent, add tomato paste and the remaining garam masala, and fry for 1 minute.
Return the chicken, pour in 100 ml water, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes until cooked through.
Add cream (or coconut milk) and heat for 5 minutes. Serve with cumin and cilantro.

💡 Fun fact: Tikka Masala was invented in London in the 1960s for British customers who wanted a thick sauce with their Indian food. Today, it’s one of the UK’s most popular dishes, with its own "Tikka Masala Day" (third week of May). Even Buckingham Palace has served it at receptions.

🥒 Ratatouille

A classic Provençal vegetable stew of eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, braised in olive oil with Provençal herbs. Perfect as a main dish or side.

Ingredients (serves 4–6):
• Eggplant — 2 (cubed, salted, left for 30 mins, then rinsed)
• Zucchini — 2 (cubed)
• Red/yellow bell pepper — 2 (sliced into strips)
• Ripe tomatoes — 4 (cubed, or 400 g canned diced tomatoes)
• Onion — 2 (sliced into half-rings)
• Garlic — 3 cloves (finely chopped)
• Extra virgin olive oil — 100 ml
• Tomato paste — 1 tbsp (optional)
• Dried oregano (Provençal herbs) — 1 tsp
• Thyme — 1 tsp
• Salt, black pepper — to taste
• Fresh basil (optional) — for garnish

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep pan or pot. Sauté the onion until soft (5 mins).
Add the eggplant (pat dry first), and cook for 8–10 minutes until tender.
Add zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste (if using), oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and fresh basil at the end.
Serve warm with bread or as a side to meat/fish.

💡 Fun fact: In the traditional recipe, ratatouille was cooked with tomatoes and herbs—but no eggplant? Strict Provençaux might argue. The modern version with eggplant and zucchini only appeared in the 20th century. The original dish was often called "ratatouille of three vegetables" (onion, pepper, tomato). Eggplant came later—from the New World—but stuck around.