Chicken Tikka Masala (OLD)
For those of you on Facebook with me that saw my remark about Steve critiquing my photos (love that he does that, he's a great food photographer!), these were the ones he was referring to. But I don't want to wait any longer to post this, my next save-it-forever recipe. So if I have better pictures at some point, with less cilantro in one place, I'll post 'em.
Chicken Tikka Masala
from my dear Sarah
Ingredients
Marinade
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into strips or large cubes
Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Method
Combine everything on the marinade list, including the chicken. Marinate in a plastic Ziploc gallon bag in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is better.)
If you have a gas grill or grill pan, grill the chicken until slightly undercooked. If you have a charcoal grill, thread the chicken onto skewers first.
Set the lightly grilled chicken aside on a plate. Melt the butter and flour in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeño, and stir for a minute. Stir in the seasonings, and salt. Add the tomato sauce, and stir for one minute. Add the half-and-half, and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Add the chicken to the sauce (remove it from the skewers if you did this) and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over basmati rice.
NOTES
I had never tried tikka masala before I made it with this recipe, so I have nothing to say regarding its authenticity or resemblance to anyone's traditional Indian (or, rather, British) version of this dish. All I can say is I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Oh my god so much. Every time I made it, I spent the following morning at work anxious and fidgety waiting for lunchtime to draw near so I could inhale the leftovers. So good. I could use all the adjectives in my arsenal, but instead, I'll simply suggest you try it for yourself. PLEASE.
Also? I've taken easily to pan frying the chicken without worrying about skewers or even indoor grill pans and it works juuust fine.
UPDATE: I no longer make this version, but have left it here for others' use, as it seems to be a very popular post. For my updated and, in my opinion, perfected version, please see my new post Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala
from my dear Sarah
Ingredients
Marinade
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into strips or large cubes
Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Method
Combine everything on the marinade list, including the chicken. Marinate in a plastic Ziploc gallon bag in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is better.)
If you have a gas grill or grill pan, grill the chicken until slightly undercooked. If you have a charcoal grill, thread the chicken onto skewers first.
Set the lightly grilled chicken aside on a plate. Melt the butter and flour in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeño, and stir for a minute. Stir in the seasonings, and salt. Add the tomato sauce, and stir for one minute. Add the half-and-half, and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Add the chicken to the sauce (remove it from the skewers if you did this) and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over basmati rice.
NOTES
I had never tried tikka masala before I made it with this recipe, so I have nothing to say regarding its authenticity or resemblance to anyone's traditional Indian (or, rather, British) version of this dish. All I can say is I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Oh my god so much. Every time I made it, I spent the following morning at work anxious and fidgety waiting for lunchtime to draw near so I could inhale the leftovers. So good. I could use all the adjectives in my arsenal, but instead, I'll simply suggest you try it for yourself. PLEASE.
Also? I've taken easily to pan frying the chicken without worrying about skewers or even indoor grill pans and it works juuust fine.
UPDATE: I no longer make this version, but have left it here for others' use, as it seems to be a very popular post. For my updated and, in my opinion, perfected version, please see my new post Chicken Tikka Masala
