Chicken Tikka Masala


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.

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