Chicken Tikka Masala

One of my fondest memories from visiting London in the fall of 2005 involves eating Indian cuisine. We were travelling in a tour group and asked our guide for a recommendation for something different, off the beaten path. His recommendation? His favorite Indian restaurant in all of London. I was a little skeptical (as was my sister who had never had Indian before), but we decided to give it a try. My husband's parents were travelling with us and his mother is a vegetarian, so Indian food, rich with vegetables and savory flavors sounded right up her alley. I had only eaten Indian once before at that point and was unsure what to order. Everything sounded wonderful - smoky tandoori chicken, slow cooked pork on skewers, curried vegetables, and savory chicken masala. There is a reason why this meal was memorable - the flavors were absolutely amazing. In fact, I have spent years trying to replicate those flavors visiting U.S. restaurants and trying out recipes at home (and failing miserably).

I came across this recipe while visiting the What's Cookin, Chicago? blog, in search of frozen meal ideas. The photo looked beautiful and the combination of ingredients listed made me feel that this recipe might be the one! Was it? Oh, yes.

The recipe called for 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts weighing a total of 3-4 lbs. I don't know about you, but finding a chicken breast that weighs almost 1 lb seems a little unlikely (and 3-4 lbs was waaaay too much chicken). I recommend purchasing 2 lbs. of chicken but keeping the rest of the recipe measurements the same as this ensures that you get plenty of sauce. I marinated the chicken overnight and I feel that this really brought out a lot more flavor during cooking. This recipe is really a 2 day process, but is worth it because it makes for easier preparation the night you serve this up. Garam Masala, an ingredient I had never used before, really gave the dish a deep, smoky, flavor that you just can't beat. The aromas coming out of my kitchen were unreal while the sauce cooked.

We served up the chicken with basmati rice and homemade naan, thanks to my husband who is a bread making wizard! Because there was so much of it, it lasted for at least three meals, with each one tasting even better than the previous because the flavors kept marrying in the fridge. If you want a little piece of London (er, India) on your table, this recipe fits the bill.


Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 medium garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Combine cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so the mixture adheres. Place chicken in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger. After the seasoned chicken has spent 30-60 minutes in the fridge, pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken and toss to fully coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight.


Masala Sauce Ingredients

• 2 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion , diced fine
• 2 medium garlic cloves , minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point, allow the sauce to cool. Transfer the sauce into a storage container, cover and then refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the chilled sauce from the fridge and heat up in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Remove the chicken from the fridge and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the yogurt coated chicken on the parchment lined baking sheet. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Before serving, stir in cilantro into the sauce.


Adapted from What's Cooking, Chicago?