Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe was actually pretty simple to make, it just took some time and tools.  You can marinate the meat the night before or you can do it while you prep the ingredients for the sauce.  Sorry there are no photos in tonight's blog.

 

First, you absolutely need a food processor or blender for this recipe.  Second, you can peel the ginger with a spoon.  Third, this isn't exact--adjust the spices, sugar, salt, heat, and lemon juice to your taste.  I changed the original recipe because I prefer bolder flavors.  I think this adaptation hits the mark for a soul-satisfying Indian curry without having to leave the house.  

I package the leftovers in a sandwich container by putting the rice down first and ladling the sauce and chicken on top and freeze it like that.  I put these freezer meals in our lunches for work.  After making dinners throughout the week, I generally have a lot leftover, but by doing this, we have ready-made meals if we are just too tired to cook one night.  Over time, we build up quite a variety.  Be sure to label the lids though with a grease pencil or masking tape so a month from now, you remember what it is. 

Chicken Tikka Masala: (Adapted from Food Network’s chef Aarti Sequira)

Marinade:

2 cups plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
6 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds chicken, poked with a fork—you can use any combination of chicken, skinless or skin on, boneless or with bone.  We used four legs and four thighs, bone and skin on.  Just make sure the pieces are the same—they all have skin and bones or they are all boneless and skinless.  If the pieces are cut, make sure they are uniform size and note you will be grilling them, so you won’t want to make them too small.  If you don’t have a grill or want to speed up the recipe, you could just used cubed chicken pieces and omit the grilling and place the raw chicken chunks in the sauce to cook.

Ginger Garlic paste: in a food processor puree 2 whole heads of raw, peeled garlic with one large peeled piece of fresh ginger, about the size of a small hand.  Cut the ginger into small cubes for ease and add canola oil while it’s blending until it finally purees.  It should be the consistency of pesto.

Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp butter
1 c Ginger-Garlic Paste
2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
1 small can tomato paste
3 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp teaspoons paprika
2 large cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 tbsp teaspoons kosher salt
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

¼ to ½ c packed brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
Cooked basmati rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving

Directions

For the marinade: In a large bowl, or baking dish, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste, onions and peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

Add the undrained tomatoes and salt.  Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).  If your sauce is chunky and you’d like a smooth sauce, now is the time to hit it with a stick blender to puree it.  Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!