Chicken Tikka Masala – A little spicy but just right

Chicken Tikka Masala is not an Indian Dish. In fact, it is believed to have been created in the U.K. and is considered one of the most popular restaurant dishes. The dish has chicken that has been coated with yogurt, broiled and then served with a tomato based sauce that is seasoned with exotic spices and some hot peppers. Served over rice, this is a wonderful and different dish.

Until a couple of years ago, I had never heard of Chicken Tikka Masala. I had recorded an episode of America’s Test Kitchen (Cook’s Illustrated) and I watched this dish being made. I was intrigued by the blend of spices– and no yellow curry! I love anything in a tomato based sauce, so I was hooked.

Chicken Tikka Masala is not an Indian Dish. In fact, it is believed to have been created in the U.K. and is considered one of the most popular restaurant dishes. Essentially, it’s chicken that has been coated with yogurt, broiled and then served with a tomato based sauce that is seasoned with exotic spices and some hot peppers.

I had never heard of Garam Marsala, but it’s a beautiful blend of spices– cardamon, cinnamon, cumin and a lot more. I purchased mine at my local grocery store, by McCormick Schilling, because Cook’s Illustrated gave it a high recommendation. You can blend your own, but I usually don’t use some of the spices very often.

The dish takes a bit of prep work and time– it took almost an hour, and this is the second time I’ve made it. Ready? Here we go:

First, you want to season chicken breasts (I don’t see why you can’t use dark meat) with a blend of cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and salt. There’s something wrong with this picture… I cut-up the chicken, rather than keeping it whole. Why? I spaced. Habit. Auto-Mode. Oh well, I’ll have to improvise. If the pieces were whole, it would be easier to pat the spices in, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Next, the yogurt– you’ll need to add some vegetable oil, fresh garlic, and freshly grated ginger:

I used Greek yogurt, because it’s thick.

Since I cut up the chicken, I decided to coat it in the yogurt but turning it with tongs. Very sanitary, huh? I do take precautions when working with raw chicken. Then, I turned on the broiler.

You’re supposed to place the chicken onto a rack. Pretend these are whole pieces. Thank you.

I have to say, that this looks very promising. Into the broiler this goes. I had to pay close attention, because I figured this chicken would cook very fast– being all cut up, you know.

Start your rice. I meant to use Basmati, but I cooked Jasmine. I spaced again. I love either one of them.

In the meantime, it’s time to start the Tikka Masala sauce:

I prepped these ingredients while my chicken was in the fridge. I didn’t have crushed tomatoes, so I had to use a can of whole tomatoes and run them through my OXO food mill (love that gadget). You’ll also need minced onion, grated ginger, minced garlic, garam marsala, serrano chilis (I used jalapeno, because it’s what I had). You’ll definitely want these all assembled, because the sauce comes together pretty fast.

The chicken took about 5 minutes per side– and it tastes so good, that I could stop right here. Really! I think kids would love it.

You’ll want to cook the onion for about 6 minutes, until just golden, and then add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for about 3 minutes. The garam marsala smells out of this world. Trust me.

With a lid on, simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes. You’ll add heavy cream to the sauce. I was out of heavy cream, so I used half and half. It was good, but I sure wish I had heavy cream. **SIGH**

I ate a few pieces of chicken and moaned. This is good! The cooked chicken is now added to the finished sauce. You don’t want to cook the chicken– just coat it with the sauce.

Serve this dish with rice and fresh cilantro. I love cilantro. Basmatic rice would have photographed better on a white plate. This is Jasmine rice.

This is good. Yes, indeed. You could leave out the peppers if you have kids…or if you’re afraid of heat. Personally, I’m a whimp about heat– but this isn’t super hot. I always clean out the seeds and the membranes in jalapenos. I actually love jalapeno, and I’m not afraid of it.

This is not a worknight meal. Neither are meatballs (as I learned last week). This is, however, my lunch for tomorrow. I made extra, because I’m learning to freeze extra food for nights when I don’t have the energy to cook. That seems to be happening a lot more, lately!

I hope you give this a try. It’s different, and it’s delicious.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is not an Indian Dish. In fact, it is believed to have been created in the U.K. and is considered one of the most popular restaurant dishes. The dish has chicken that has been coated with yogurt, broiled and then served with a tomato based sauce that is seasoned with exotic spices and some hot peppers. Served over rice, this is a wonderful and different dish.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: main

Cuisine: British, Indian

Servings: 6 people

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

CHICKEN:

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat

Yogurt Marinade for Chicken:

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

MASALA SAUCE:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion diced fine, about 1 1/4 cups
• 2 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 fresh serrano chile ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (I used a jalapeno)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon garam masala recommended: McCormick Schilling brand
• 1 can crushed tomatoes 28-ounce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Garnish:

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

CHICKEN:

• Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl.

  Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres.

  Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

Marinade:

• In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

SAUCE:

• Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
• Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

Broiling the chicken:

• While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler.
• Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan.

  Discard excess yogurt mixture.
• Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160°F on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
• Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce).
• Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Notes

This dish is best when prepared with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted.

Recipe source: Cook’s Illustrated

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