Saturday, January 27, 2007

Chicken Tikka Masala

My favorite Indian restaurant has the most awesome lunch buffet on the weekends. It's the only time we eat Indian, because it allows us to try a bunch of dishes, without the committment. My absolute favorite is Chicken Tikka Masala (chicken marinated in yogurt and spices then served in a tomato cream sauce), but they only serve it on Saturdays. Unfortunately, they only serve Kheer (a delicious rice pudding Indian dessert) on Sundays - so that is when we go. (Dessert will always win out!)

I decided to attempt to make my own Tikka Masala at home. I must say...this recipe is a winner! If you like Indian/Pakistan flavors, you will love this dish. It's a keeper, and one that I will definitely be adding to my arsenal.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
skewers
1 tbsp butter

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp cumin (yes, again!)

1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)

2 tsp paprika

1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt, to taste

In a large
bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger and salt. Stir in chicken pieces, cover and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thread marinated chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. (Chicken will finish off on the stovetop.)


Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 tsp cumin, paprila and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low hear until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.


I served this dish with a side of rice that I added shaved carrot and a little cumin to. So good!


The sauce has a wonderful bite that hits you in the back of the throat...if you don't like hot foods, cut down on the cayenne pepper and omit the jalapeno. The sauce is so silky, and the marinade made the chicken so tender. We had absolutely no leftovers, which stinks because it would've made a fabulous lunch!

I could've kicked myself though - this meal definitely needed some Naan and a Mango Lassi to truly "make" the experience.

BTW - Check out my little helper:

4 comments:

Erika said...

Have made this several times now. We also live too far away from Indian food and this gets us through the tough times. Thanks!

Lillian (My Recipe Journey) said...

I found your recipe on Just A Pinch.com it was posted by a member there! Someone posted a comment that brought me here! This recipe is PERFECT!!! I made it! the only thing I did differently was to cut all the spices in half because I'm a wimp when it comes to heat! The sauce is to die for...bowl lickin good!

Kat said...

Thank you Lillian! I have a question about Just A Pinch...its a cool website, but the woman that lifted the recipe gave this blog (and me) no recipe or photo credit. Is that customary? I appreciate the poster who gave me the mention. Its so nice to know I have some fans out there!

Anonymous said...

I would love to make this but would need to make some substitutions. I have bottles of Garam Masala spice blend that I need to use up. Which ingredients do I omit from your recipe and do you know how much garam masala I would use to replace those spices according to your recipe? Thanks!