Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
Marinade
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into large cubes
Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Crushed red chile (optional, can be found in most Asian markets)
Method
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, grated ginger, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook in oven for 25 minutes, until cooked through.
Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the ground coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin, paprika, garam masala and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the tomato sauce and the heavy cream and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro (and crushed red chile, if desired).
Serve over basmati rice.
NOTES
Man. Oh. Man. This is chicken tikka masala, *perfected*.
This is an almost 50/50 blend of two recipes - one from my friend Sarah that I have had posted here for a long time and one from my friend Bev (who recently closed shop *sniff*). I blended the spices from both and used the chicken roasting method from Bev's and holy cow...
Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, intensely rich and savory. Tikka masala nirvana. I can't imagine it getting any better than this.
21 comments:
Better than the last recipe you posted?? Hard to imagine -- that one was pretty darn fine!
Yumm..I know what dinner is tonight! Thanks.
Julia, I swear it is! It's very similar, in the spices that are used for the sauce, but the roasting and simmering methods are different, there is no flour (which I decided I do not like to cook with, so yay), there is cayenne instead of red pepper flakes in the marinade... small changes that add up to a lot.
Harmony, hopefully you can trust me and Bev. ;) Enjoy!
We made very little Indian food when I was a culinary school student (I wrote about it here, if you're interested: "Culinary School: Three Semesters of Life, Learning, and Loss of Blood" http://amzn.to/eOKJWw - on Amazon Kindle). But I've playing at home and loving it all. Amazing cuisine; such a variety of flavors.
I can't wait to try your improved version. I love the idea of roasting the chicken since grilling or cooking it in the pan was always a PITA because of the yogurt.
Sarah, that was my biggest problem, exactly, with that old one of ours. Give this a try!
I haven't cooked Indian food before but this recipe makes me want to try. It looks fantastic.
I've added this to my list of things to cook :-)
Pam, I hope you do.
Carlos, yay! :D
One of my very favorite dishes - this looks good enough to eat!
Really lovely flavours, sounds mouthwatering. You have a lovely blog - I'm signing up to follow you!
Mary
I can't find anywhere to sign up - I'll bookmark you!
Mary
Much appreciated, Mary. You can always add my url to your Google Reader or other blog reader page. Hope you enjoy!
Chicken is currently marinating for tomorrow's dinner. I can't wait to try the new version and I'm REALLY excited for the roasting method.
Sarah, that is so funny. I just commented on your weekly menu post... I can't wait to hear how you like it like this!
Holy cow. You've been cooking up a storm over here. This looks delicious!! I'm a little obsessed with Indian these days. Have got to make my own at home.
Aggie, tikka masala is a great recipe to start cooking Indian at home. And you can do it with fish!
OMG, this is delicious. I am a reader of your other blog and just checked out your food blog. Made this tonight and it is incredible. who knew how easy it was!?! All I had to buy was garam masala, ginger, tomato sauce and a lemon - had everything else! Thank you.
Nicole, if you're the same Nicole that came out of anonymity to comment a few times, I remember you... regardless, yay! I am thrilled to hear you made this to great success. Definitely a favorite around here!
Okay, I have cooked this dish several times and I cannot get enough of it. Not to mention the satisfying moans and "mmm's" from my friends and family each time they had it. My SIL just made it for her guest and they can't stop raving about it. I kinda feel like I need to send you a check!!! <3
That's totally rocks, Harmony. Love hearing this. Thanks for coming back and letting me know!
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