Chicken Tikka Masala
This is my favorite Indian dish and a good one to start with for those not familiar with Indian. I like to serve it with homemade Naan and Basmati rice. You can substitute the chicken with shrimp or if your a vegetarian, tofu is excellent in this dish (but I would only marinate for an hour as it soaks up the flavor quickly). I've made this recipe a million times to try and get the taste just right for my liking. Here it is!
4 chicken breasts
Marinade
1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 long skewers
Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Method
1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat a grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill to lightly char chicken. Chicken does not have to be all the way cooked as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno and season with garam masala, paprika, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Marinade
1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 long skewers
Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Method
1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat a grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill to lightly char chicken. Chicken does not have to be all the way cooked as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno and season with garam masala, paprika, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
