Chicken Tikka Masala

After the Picky Apple tasted Chicken Tikka Masala at an Indian restaurant and enjoyed it, I wanted to try to recreate the dish at home.  That’s a tricky thing to do when the cook has never actually tasted the dish, and The Picky Apple had particular notions about how it should taste.  I remembered bookmarking this recipe from The Pioneer Woman’s website, and gave it a try.  I basically bookmark EVERYTHING she cooks.  She hasn’t let me down yet!  I’m hoping to buy her new cookbook soon, and I’ll definitely be standing in line for her book signing when she comes to town in December!

This was my second attempt at preparing this dish.  I used this recipe for the first attempt too, and we really liked the flavors, but it needed a few tweaks to better suit The Picky Apple’s first taste of Chicken Tikka Masala from the restaurant.  I’ve included my changes and notes below.

Chicken Tikka Masala

from Pastor Ryan via The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 Chicken Breasts
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Coriander
• Cumin, To Taste
• ½ cups Plain Yogurt
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 piece (approximately 2 Inches) Chunk Fresh Ginger
• Garam Masala  (you can find this at most stores or make your own using the recipe below)
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes for a smoother sauce)
• Sugar
• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream (I used 2 cups for a creamier sauce)
• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• OPTIONAL: Fresh Cilantro, Chili Peppers, Turmeric, Frozen Peas

Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with some kosher salt. Next sprinkle them on both sides with some coriander and cumin. Then coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt. Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken. It should have slightly blackened edges. Remove from oven.

Next dice one large onion. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince your garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 by 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Also throw in about 1 tablespoon of salt.

Next you are going to add about 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice. And if you like it hot, this is also when you will add your hot chili peppers. Serranos work well. Now you are going to add your can of diced tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add about 1 tablespoon sugar. Let this mixture simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.

To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 4 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but make sure that you use Basmati rice.

After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, add in the 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Now, chop up your chicken breasts into chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro is a nice addition if you like cilantro. You can also throw some frozen peas into the cooked rice, give them a stir, and allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas. It tastes great and gives another nice dash of color. Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top. Make sure to have some Nann bread handy, too.

Garam Masala Mix

1 tablespoon coriander; ground
1 tablespoon cumin; ground
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper; ground  (I plan to use 1/2 a tablespoon next time…this makes it very spicy!)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds; ground
1 tablespoon ginger; ground
1 tablespoon cardamom; ground
1 tablespoon nutmeg; ground
1 TEASPOON cloves; ground