Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

Let me start by saying, my family is very boring when it comes to trying new things. My husband turns his nose up if I mention going out for Thai, Indian, Moroccan, or anything thing that is not Southern, Mexican, Italian or good ole Americanized junk! And don’t even get me started on my kids-the pickiest on this earth! At least, Little Me will cook things with me, say they smell great and try a taste, but that’s about it. So, my attitude is, stick it!

I love trying new foods. My father was an international Cotton Merchant and we had many foreign visitors in our house. My mother would research dishes from their native lands and prepare mouth watering dishes. I learned to try different things like Pansit, a Philippine noodle dish. I ate lentils with all sorts of flat breads and sauces. I grew up thinking everyone had a dish of Rotel on the table as their condiment-that’s the Tex Mex influence.

So let’s fast forward a couple of years and I meet my hubby. A local boy whose family roots were in Arkansas-they own a cotton farm in Philips County, AR. His idea of good food was pot roast and mashed potatoes, which I love, but one cannot live on that alone. The only spinach he had ever eaten and HATED was from a can-yuck! I introduced him to fresh spinach salads with artichoke hearts and mustardy vinaigrette. Bacon-wrapped asparagus. Steak marinated in a delicious marinade, not the whole bottle of Dales for 24 hours.

I still fix my family “boring” foods like spaghetti and meatballs, homemade chicken nuggets with mashed potatoes and green beans, tacos, and pizzas, but every other week I pick something I want to try. Last night I made Chicken Tikka Masala and it was a hit. Tender pieces of chicken cooked in an Indian spice infused tomato and cream sauce served over fluffy Basmati or Jasmine rice garnished with chopped cilantro. After dinner, I sat down and turned on the TV. Throw down with Bobby Flay was on and the challenge was Chicken Tikka Masala. To make matters more interesting, one of the judges was from my mother’s hometown-Yorktown Heights, NY and he had a restaurant in the town where I would spend my summers with my grandparents-Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY. It was kismet!

So now you know a little about my food background and my crazy family and their pickiness, here is my recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala-ENJOY!

Chicken Tikka Masala
2 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee*
1 yellow or red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1’ cubes.
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam Masala
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (14 ½ ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1-2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
Cooked Basmati rice
Chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add butter (or ghee) and onions. Sauté onions in butter until golden and starting to caramelize, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, but do not burn. Addlemon juice, paprika, garam Masala, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and mix well. Mix together heavy cream, cornstarch and salt. Pour into tomato mixture and mix well. Add chicken pieces and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Adjust seasonings, if necessary and ad red pepper flakes. Serve over hot Basmati rice and garnish with chopped cilantro

Makes 6 servings.


*Ghee
Recipe from Alton Brown

1 pound butter

Place butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring butter to boil. This takes approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. The butter will form a foam which will disappear. Ghee is done when a second foam forms on top of butter, and the butter turns golden. Approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Brown milk solids will be in bottom of pan. Gently pour into heatproof container through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Store in airtight container being sure to keep free from moisture. Ghee does not need refrigeration and will keep in airtight container for up to 1 month.

Makes a little less than 1 pound of ghee.