Chicken Tikka Masala

The other night I was craving chicken on the grill.  My boyfriend suggested we make chicken tikka masala.  I wanted a recipe that was easy to make and one that did not require too many ingredients that we would never use again if the dish was a flop (which is was not - please keep reading).   So we bought a new propane tank for the gas grill and a few ingredients for our Indian meal.

Chicken Tikka Masala with Sautéed Greens (upper left)

I found a great recipe here, which we tweaked. This recipes serves 4, which we ate for dinner and still had enough a left-over lunch the next day.

Marinade:
1/2 cup yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 thin boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (less than a pound of meat)

Grill: We added the marinated chicken and 1/2 onion - chopped in large pieces - onto 4 wooden skewers.

Tikka Masala Sauce:
1-1/2 teaspoons butter
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 can of peas
small can of tomato paste

Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

Procedure: 

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cumin, cinnamon, paprika, black pepper, ginger, and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken pieces, cover, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. 

2. Preheat grill on high heat. 

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken and chopped onion onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill about 5 minutes on each side. 

5. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and jalapeno for a few minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon cumin, paprika, and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce, cream, and tomato paste. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 15-20 minutes. 

6. Add the grilled onion to the sauce and blend with an immersion blender.   

7. Fold in the grilled chicken and peas into the tikka masala sauce. 

8. Place chicken tikka masala over jasmine rice and  garnish with fresh cilantro.

COOKING NOTES: The peas added a great textural element to the sauce.  We're thinking of incorporating potatoes and/or cauliflower next time as well. 

I cannot express how delicious this Indian dish was.  My boyfriend stated that it was even more impressive than some of the chicken tikka masala meals we had in actual Indian restaurants.  If you enjoy Indian food, than you must try this recipe!!!  We've been talking to all our friends about it and will definitely be making it again.

Sautéed Greens

This time of year, there are so many delicious greens at the farmers market.  I selected Chinese broccoli (which we never tried before), dandelion greens, and some red chard. The greens were a wonderful side to our chicken tikka masala (recipe coming soon). 

Sautéed Greens (upper left) and Chicken Tikka Masala

Sautéed Greens
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
8 cloves of minced garlic
Chicken broth
Bunches of greens (Chinese broccoli, dandelion greens, red chard, or whatever you like that's in season)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mince the garlic and add it with some olive oil to a hot skillet.
2. Separate the leaves from the stalks of the red chard.  Cut the stalks into bite-size pieces and place in the pan with some salt and pepper. 
3. Sauté for several minutes until the stalks soften.  For more flavor, I used chicken broth, but you could always add water or vegetable broth. 
 4. Next chop the greens and add them to the pan.  Again I added more chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Stir often, until the broth evaporates.
5. Cook until the greens are tender. 

COOKING NOTES: I used the entire bunch of chard and a half bunch of broccoli and dandelions. 

I had an opened 14oz can of chicken broth in the fridge.  I used about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of broth.

You can see the red chard stalks in this picture.  The yellow, orange, and red stalks from rainbow chard would be a colorful addition to this dish.