recipe: chicken tikka masala

one of my favorite types of food to eat is indian food.
i love the beautiful variety of spices they use in their cooking, and the combination of flavors is always a delight.

my favorite indian dish, hands down is chicken tikka masala.

i love trying to re-create dishes from my favorite restaurants at home. of course my curiosity got the better of me, and i've been working to make my chicken tikka masala rival some of my favorite indian restaurants. and, i think i've just about got it! i've been perfecting this recipe for years, making little changes here and there. so, i am excited to share it with you!


{chicken tikka masala}

*pick up indian spices at your local indian grocery store.

ingredients

chicken marinade
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped i cubes about 1 inch
1 inch ginger root, finely grated or chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely grated or chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder
2 tbs tandoori masala mix [i use rajah brand]
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp kosher salt

directions
mix all the marinade ingredients with chicken, and marinade at least 2-24 hours in fridge.

preheat oven to 400 degrees f.

lay marinated chicken out on a sprayed or lined cookie sheet.

place in oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

ingredients for gravy

1/3 cup oil [light canola or vegetable]

2 bay leaves

4 green cardamom pods

4 whole black pepper corns

4 whole cloves

3 inch cinnamon stick

1 red onion, finely diced

1/2 green pepper, seeded and diced

1 inch ginger root, peeled and grated or finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

1 [10 3/4 oz] can, or 1 1/4 cup of tomato puree

1 [10 3/4 oz] can of diced tomatoes, cut up very small

1 tbs ground coriander

1/2 tbs ground cumin

1 1/2 tbs garam masala mix [rajah brand]

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tbs brown sugar

half-pint [1 cup] heavy whipping cream

1 cup water

2 tbs butter

8-10 sprigs of fresh cilantro chopped

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

directions

while the chicken is baking, make the gravy.

heat 1/3 cup of oil in a non-stick heavy bottom stock pot over medium heat.

after the oil is heated, add the bay leaves, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick, and peppercorns. cook for about 30 seconds.

add onions and green peppers and fry until onions get translucent. about 10 minutes.

then add ginger and garlic and fry for another couple of minutes.

add the tomato puree and diced tomatoes.

cook this mixture for another 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously until oil appears on the surface.

add the ground coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and tumeric. fry for another minute.

the chicken should be baked by now.

add the baked chicken along with any juices from the sheet to the mixture along with the heavy cream and water.

mix well and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

taste for seasonings.

remove from heat and add cilantro [reserve some for garnish], butter, and lemon juice.

mix well.

check the thickness of the sauce. add water to make sauce thinner if desired.

serve with hot basmati or jasmine rice.

enjoy!

xoxo,

caroline, "the curious cook"