Chicken Tikka Masala

Trevor got me an Indian cook book for Christmas and I've finally prepared enough to actually make something from it! It's kind of intimidating looking at all the steps and ingredients it takes to make an Indian dish. But for my first, I chose a pretty mild and simple dish. It was insanely good! I'll definitely be making it again, and trying out some others. So keep an eye out, if you're interested in cooking Indian food.

This recipe is for Chicken Tikka Masala. And I'd say, it's a great beginner's place to start, if you've never had Indian food. We're by no means experts. In fact, we're still relatively new at eating Indian food. But this is a great place to start if you're not sure you'd like Indian or are nervous about not being able to sleep after :) There are plenty of variations of this recipe, ranging in complexity. Feel free to explore your options of different spices you can add (like tumeric, garam masala, and ginger.

Here's what you need:

2 Tablespoons ghee (or vegetable oil)
1 red or green chili, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
pepper
3 cooked chicken breasts, cut into pieces (or a whole chicken)
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
14 ounce can diced tomatoes
cilantro


For coconut rice:
1 1/4 cup basmati (or jasmine) rice
2 1/4 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

To be more authentic, you should use tandoori cooked chicken instead of plain chicken. I'm going to make that soon, and I'll share the recipe later. But for this version, I used regular chicken so I wouldn't be too terrified to make it or eat it.


Also, ghee is clarified butter. Indian cooking uses a lot of this, because it's had the cream boiled off. You can make it yourself, or buy it (although, I haven't been able to find it yet). Using clarified butter in Indian cooking is important because you'll be cooking with high heat a lot, and the cream in butter smokes and burns at high temperatures. You can use vegetable oil as an alternative. I used regular butter in my dish and was careful to not let it burn but it's not incredibly authentic to do so.


I went to Ocean Mart on 115 West 9000 South to find spices and coconut milk (although you can find expensive coconut milk at regular grocery stores).

Begin your rice by rinsing it until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for 20-30 minutes.

Begin cooking your chicken in a separate pan if it's not cooked already; I cooked with salt and pepper.

In a large saute pan, mince up your chili and garlic, and stir fry in hot ghee for a couple of minutes until aromatic and tender. The chili that you use will determine how spicy your dish is. Stir in spices, salt and pepper, and cook for a minute or so to allow the flavors to mingle. Add the cream and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or so until thickened. Add the chicken, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

While your sauce and chicken are cooking, start cooking your rice. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium pot, and add rice. Cook on medium high, stirring, until the rice is coated. Add the coconut milk and stir; bring it to a low boil. Reduce heat to very low and cover. Do not remove the lid until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and cover for a couple minutes after it's cooked.

Garnish your chicken with chopped cilantro if desired, and serve with rice.

Your house will smell like Indian food for a few days. Your belly will be thankful.