This Chicken Tikka Masala was cooked by Mini aged ten from scratch and I can tell you it was absolutely delicious. I am delighted to have teamed up with Uncle Ben’s to highlight their fantastic Ben’s Beginners cooking hub on the lead up to International Cook With Your Kids Day on 15th October 2016.

I am passionate about cooking with my boys and providing them with skills that will last a lifetime. However, I do understand how hard it can be to find the time and enthusiasm to share the kitchen with them, especially after a busy day at work. It can be a challenge to find a suitable recipe and to let them be in control. This is where the Ben’s Beginners hub comes into its own, with step by step visual recipes that are easy to follow and cover specific skills.

Mini sat with the iPad and made a decision over which meal he wanted to try and decided upon the Chicken Tikka Masala and him being ten we decided to hand it all over to him, from the shopping to the preparation and then the cooking, whilst I was on hand to do his bidding and be his sous chef!

Ingredients for the Chicken Tikka Masala

1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Lemon, juiced
2 (about 350g total) Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 cloves garlic, crushed
120mL Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Onion, sliced
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Tomato Paste
1 400g Tinned Tomatoes, no salt added
125mL Single Cream 1 Handful Fresh Coriander 50mL Water
1 Handful Fresh Coriander 50mL Water
50ml Water

Ingredients For Rainbow Rice

2 packages Uncle Ben’s® Wholegrain Express Rice®
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
Mug of (approx 175g) Frozen Peas
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Orange Pepper, chopped
1 Yellow Pepper, chopped

The brilliance of this recipe is it is simplified for families. Using the Uncle Ben’s® Wholegrain Express Rice® allowed Mini to concentrate on cooking the Chicken Tikka Masala rather than trying to balance making that and cooking the rice.

How to make Chicken Tikka Masala

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. In a large bowl mix together the spices, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt and a pinch of pepper to season until well combined.

Add the chopped chicken and coat with the spicy yogurt allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Put all the chicken pieces onto an oven tray lined with foil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the onion and cook on a low heat for 5 to 10 minutes until it’s lovely and soft and brown. Add the garam masala and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes more. Then add the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and single cream. Then season with pepper and sprinkle over the coriander leaves

For the Rainbow Rice

Stir Fry the chopped peppers until soft and add the peas and stir-fry for a few minutes, till cooked. (Add 2 tablespoons of water if you want to speed up the cooking time).