Ingredients

• 2 x 750g/1lb 10oz free-range poussin
• skinned and spatchcocked (alternatively use 800g/1lb 12oz chicken thighs
• each thigh halved)
• 80g/3oz full-fat Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 375g/13oz plain white flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp salt
• 200ml/7fl oz full-fat milk
• 15g/½oz sugar
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten (you will only need half the egg)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1kg/2lb 4oz fresh tomatoes
• 5cm/2in piece of fresh root ginger
• peeled
• half grated and half finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• peeled
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 5 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 80g/3oz butter
• diced
• 2 green chillies
• slit lengthways
• 75ml/2½fl oz single cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• crushed between your fingertips
• ½ tsp garam masala
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.Place a baking tray in the oven to heat up.
• For the marinade
• make small cuts all over the poussin or chicken pieces with a sharp knife to help the marinade penetrate.
• Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a deep ovenproof dish. Smear the cut chicken with the marinade
• cover with cling film and set aside in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• Cook the chicken in the marinade in the oven for 15 minutes. You may need to turn the pieces halfway through cooking to ensure they brown evenly on both sides.
• Meanwhile for the naan bread
• mix the flour
• baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl
• whisk together the milk
• sugar and half the beaten egg
• then add this to the flour mixture and knead lightly until it comes together to make a soft dough (take care not to overwork the dough). Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
• For the sauce
• place the tomatoes in a pan with 125ml/4fl oz water
• the grated ginger
• garlic
• cardamom
• cloves and bay leaf. Simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat until the tomatoes have broken down.
• Pick out the larger spices
• then blend the sauce with a hand-held blender until smooth. (Pass it through a sieve to obtain a really smooth purée.) Put the purée in a clean pan
• add the chilli powder and simmer for 12-15 minutes. It should slowly begin to thicken.
• Cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces (the chicken does not need to be completely cooked at this point as it will continue to cook in the sauce). When the sauce is thick and glossy
• add the chicken pieces and sieve in any roasting juices.
• Add about 200ml/7fl oz water (depending on how thick you prefer your sauce) and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the butter
• a couple of pieces at a time
• and simmer for 6-8 minutes
• until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce turns glossy.
• To cook the naan breads
• pour the oil over the rested naan dough and turn it a few times so it is evenly coated. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll out each one on a lightly oiled surface into a circle about 9cm/3½in in diameter. Gently stretch out the circles of dough to form the traditional teardrop shape
• or
• alternatively
• roll them into 10cm/4in circles.
• Place the naan breads on the preheated baking tray and bake for 4–5 minutes
• or until they are starting to brown on both sides. You might need to turn the bread to make sure it colours on both sides.
• To finish the curry
• add the finely chopped ginger
• chillies and cream and simmer for a minute or so longer
• taking care to keep the heat low so the sauce does not split. Stir in the salt
• crushed fenugreek leaves and garam masala. Season to taste with salt and pepper
• then add the sugar. Serve the curry with the warm naan breads alongside.