This dish may seem complicated and long but it is, in fact, two dishes made into one to please those who came to Indian restaurants and demanded a sauce with their chicken tikka.

The chicken is really easy to prepare and the tangy curry is quite forgiving to small mistakes. Do try and find the fenugreek leaves and black cardamom pods if you live near an Indian shop or online. You can always cheat by buying in ready-made tandoori chicken or simply the paste.

Serves 4

4 chicken thighs, skinned

Anjum Anand's Keralan chicken

Delicious recipes from Anjum's New Indian book and latest BBC TV series

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2½ tbs. vegetable oil

1 large onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

10g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 large vine tomatoes, halved, seeds removed and pureed

2 tbs. tomato puree

100ml double cream (depending on how creamy you like it)

¼ tsp. red chilli powder or to taste

1-1½ tsp. sugar or to taste

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. fenugreek leaves, crushed between your fingers to powder (if you have them)

Salt to taste

Whole spices

2 black cardamom pods (optional but adds a wonderful smoky flavour)

4 cloves

8 green cardamom pods

1½” cinnamon shard or ¼ tsp. powder

Tandoori paste

100ml Greek yoghurt

¼ tsp. red chilli powder and paprika for colour

1½ tsp. cumin powder

8g each ginger and garlic made into a pastes

1 tbs. vegetable oil

1 tbs. lemon juice

2 good pinches of dry fenugreek leaves, crushed in your hand

1 tsp. garam masala

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade, season to taste then add the chicken and leave to marinate for as long as possible in the fridge (bring back to room temperature before cooking). Preheat the oven to 180C and place the thighs in a baking dish and bake until cooked through, around 30-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the whole spices and once they start to sizzle, add the onion; cook until golden. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for 1 minute and add the tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, sugar and a good splash of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the masala releases oil on the sides or the surface. Add a splash of water if the pan gets dry. Add the cream and puree to a fine paste.

When the chicken is done, either tear off large pieces, going with the chicken’s natural grain, or cut into small cubes. Add these along with the garam masala, fenugreek leaves and enough water to make a creamy curry. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes and serve.

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