Chicken Tikka Masala – This is IT!

Chew Out Loud

RECIPE (4-6)

INGREDIENTS

Chicken
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts – dried well, pounded evenly flat
1 cup plain (unsweetened) whole milk yogurt
2 TB vegetable oil
2 tsp ground ginger
1 TB ground garlic

Sauce
3 TB vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger (peeled)
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 TB garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1 TB tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
dashes of kosher salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

For the Chicken:
Combine salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in small bowl.  Sprinkle both sides of dry, evenly-pounded chicken with spice mixture, pressing in so mixture sticks.  Place chicken in single layer and set aside.  Whisk yogurt, oil, ginger, and garlic together in large bowl and set aside.

For the Sauce (can be made a day or two before, without chicken):
Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until golden, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and cook about 3 minutes.  Add the rest of sauce ingredients and bring to boil.  Reduce to medium low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Lastly, stir in cream and return to simmer a few minutes.  Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce is keeping warm, place oven rack 6 inches from heat broiler.  Dip chicken well into yogurt mixture, coating with thick layer of yogurt.  Arrange each piece on wire rack lined with aluminum foil.  Broil chicken about 5-9 minutes, flip over halfway, and broil another 5-9 minutes.  The exterior will be lightly browned in spots.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes.  Cut into bite size chunks and stir into warm sauce when ready to eat.  Do not simmer chicken in the sauce.  If sauce needs warming, warm it up first and then toss the chicken in when ready to serve.  Lastly, season with kosher salt to taste, toss in fresh cilantro, and serve immediately over Basmati rice.

Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Large Cubes
• 1 whole Onion, Peeled And Halved
• 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 1 whole Small Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Quartered
• 1 can (156ml Can) Tomato Paste
• 1 can (about 400ml Can) Coconut Milk
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala (Indian Spice Mix)
• 2 whole Dry Red Chili Peppers (optional For Extra Heat))
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• 1-½ Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 bunch Coriander (optional, For Decoration) -- I used Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

1. Place chicken cubes inside the slow cooker.

2. Place the rest of the ingredients (except chili peppers, cornstarch, water and coriander) in a food processor bowl and process together until the mix is smooth(ish). ((I only have a small food processor so I just did a couple ingredients at a time. I'm sure you could also use a blender ... may not be as good, but better than nothing!)) Pour sauce mix on top of the chicken, mix well, add hot peppers if using any, then close the lid. Cook on low for 6 hours.

3. An hour before serving, mix together water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add to the chicken curry and mix well. Place the lid back on for the rest of the cooking time.

4. Serve on top of steaming white rice, something wonderfully aromatic like jasmine or basmati rice. Decorate with lots of chopped coriander (again, I used cilantro). Inhale. So good!

Indian Butter Chicken

Mmmm!! I grew up in Tokyo where you could get any cuisine you could possibly imagine. Indian is for sure one of my top three favorites. DELICIOUS and a definite must try.

Indian Butter Chicken
Mels Kitchen Cafe

Note: I lightened up the recipe using fat free half-and-half in place of the heavy cream. If you don’t want to buy a special ingredient and have heavy cream (or regular half-and-half) on hand, they will both work just fine.

*Serves 6

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeño, seeded, and finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free half-and-half
1 1/2 pounds (about 2-3) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter

Hot cooked rice for serving
Chopped fresh cilantro for extra garnish

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, ginger and jalapeno. Stir often while cooking until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. Cook stirring, constantly for another minute.

Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and add tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and add the half and half. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and add the chicken pieces and the salt and pepper. Stir. Keep the sauce at a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened.

Cut remaining 3 tablespoons butter into chunks and stir into the sauce until melted. Serve the chicken and sauce over hot rice. Garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro, if desired.