Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala 

Every cook needs a killer recipe for curry to pull out of their culinary arsenal and this recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala by Food Fashion Party hits the bulls eye. Seriously. You need to make this, like, today.  

My interest in Indian food began with the movie One Hundred Foot Journey, as I watched, mesmerized, while Hassan (Manish Dayal) worked his magic by carefully choosing and blending exotic spices to create perfectly wonderful dishes.  But I never dreamed I could pull off an authentic recipe in my own kitchen that would satisfy my family's obsession with curries.
 Thankfully, I met Asha on Instagram last year and through her encouragement and step-by-step instructions, I conquered this family recipe she so kindly shared with me. 

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA:

Ingredients for Chicken Tikka:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
Marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp garlic (minced)
2 tsp ginger (minced)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Dry rub:
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 Tbsp cumin
salt to taste

Ingredients for MASALA:
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 pint heavy cream
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala

Dried fenugreek leaves _ 2 tsp(optional) 

Method:

Cut the chicken into 1-2 inch bite size pieces. Clean and pat dry.

 Mix ingredients for marinade. Season the chicken with dry rub, put into a Ziplock bag and cover with the marinade. Put in the refrigerator to marinate for at least a few hours, ideally overnight.

After the chicken has marinated, lightly coat a baking pan with oil. Remove as much of the marinade from the chicken as possible and arrange on the pan. Bake the chicken in a 400 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes or until nearly cooked through–adjusting the cooking time as needed depending on the size of the chicken; finish the chicken under the broiler to add a slight char to the outside. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the creamy masala.

In a skillet, on med high heat, heat 2 Tbsp of oil and 1 Tbsp of butter. Add ginger and garlic paste and saute 1 minute making sure not to burn. Add the onion and saute on medium heat.

Continue sauteing for 5-6 minutes. Add coriander powder, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder; stir into the onion mixture. Add tomato paste.

Add the chopped tomatoes. Add salt to taste and mix ingredients thoroughly. Allow ingredients to come to a bubble, then reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 15 minutes, stir in garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves (crushed) and heavy cream and continue cooking on low heat for 5 minutes.

Add chopped cilantro, then the cooked chicken and simmer for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve with naan.