'I'm a chef and this is how to make chicken tikka masala curry taste like a takeaway'

Britain's most-ordered curry is chicken tikka masala, prized for its warming spice, gentle heat and velvety tomato-cream finish. The best versions glow with colour, carry smoky char from the tikka, and deliver layered flavour rather than blunt heat - exactly what you expect from a top takeaway

With the right method, you can achieve that standard at home. Chef Shama Rahman of My Nawaab in Levenshulme champions a small, focused ingredient list and precise technique. Her key rule: you will not get restaurant results with pre-made tikka mixes or generic pastes; build your marinade and sauce base from scratch to unlock depth, aroma and colour.

Chef Shama said: "Chicken Tikka Masala has consistently topped the leaderboard when it comes to the nation's favourite curry, which is why we love to serve it at My Nawaab, Levenshulme, along with our more authentically spiced dishes that have held their own place for generations."

The recipe isn't complicated, either. You just need to get a few things right, like using natural yoghurt instead of Greek yoghurt and the right quantities of spices to create the base paste.

Here's how to make chicken tikka masala just as they do at My Nawaab.

Chicken tikka masala curry recipe

Ingredients

• 500g Chicken Breast Cubed
• 300g Natural Yoghurt (not Greek)
• Half tsp red food colouring powder
• One tsp salt
• One tsp chilli powder
• One tsp paprika
• One tsp garlic paste
• One tsp ginger paste
• Chopped green chillies, to taste

For the sauce:

• One medium/large white onion, roughly chopped
• Half a cup of vegetable oil
• Four fresh medium tomatoes
• One tsp tomato paste
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp chilli powder
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 1.5 tsp coriander
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1.5 tsp red food colouring powder
• One tsp garlic paste
• One tsp ginger paste
• Leftover tikka paste
• Water
• Double cream to taste

Method

For the tikka, thoroughly mix all the above ingredients and set aside. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour, but it can be left overnight.

When cooking, place the chicken cubes on baking parchment and roast for 20 minutes at 160°C and then for five minutes at 200°C to get the charred look. This also enhances the flavour. Keep any leftover yoghurt marinade to add to the sauce later.

Start the sauce by softening the onions in the oil, taking care not to brown the onions.

Add all the sauce ingredients and stir well. Cook the spices for a minute or two to help release their flavours, then top up with water (to the desired consistency) and bring it to the boil on a high flame.

Reduce to a medium/low heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Add double cream, bring it back up to temperature and enjoy with steamed rice or naan.