Chicken Tikka Masala

I have often stated my love for Indian food and how I dearly miss our favorite Indian restaurant in Herndon, Virginia. I am always on the lookout for recipes to recreate the dishes that we loved there. Chicken Tikka Masala is one of those meals that I have been wishing to replicate. Chicken Tikka Masala is usually a spicy dish but the first recipe I tried was unbearable! Russell likes spicy foods so I knew it was too hot when he could not finish his plate! My search for a new recipe led me the one below. I adjusted the recipe to ensure that it would not be too spicy. My second attempt turned out just right as the flavor was wonderful and the spice was perfect! I served it with homemade naan complimented with my twist on a traditional tzatziki sauce (recipe soon to come). This is definitely the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe I will be using from now on when we are craving some wonderful Indian food.

This recipe calls for a spice called Garam Masala which is typically made from whole spices; roasted, and then ground. For a quick and easy substitute you can make your own: Garam Masala. You can also find Garam Masala at the World Market, Whole Foods, or The Fresh Market.

Ingredients:

Chicken Masala Marinade Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger or 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Other Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3-4 chicken breasts)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (more if you would like it spicier)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you would like it spicier)
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 16 ounce can tomato sauce
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Cilantro
• Cooked basmati rice

Directions:

In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine all of the chicken masala marinade ingredients except the chicken. Using a sharp knife make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turning to coat. Refrigerate covered overnight.

In a large dutch oven or large pot, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until onions are tender and golden, approximately 6-8 minutes.

Add the garam masala, chili powder, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce, and the pinch of sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes.

While the mixture begins to simmer, remove the chicken from the marinade and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the chicken into the pot of simmering tomato sauce. Continue simmering/cooking the chicken, partially covered, for an additional 10-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Add the cream and some of the cilantro and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer.

Serve over basmati rice and garnish with cilantro.

Adapted from: Mels Kitchen Cafe: Chicken Tikka Masala

Homemade Naan

As I have previously mentioned, where we currently live is not a hotspot when it comes to any type of food other than Mexican. Therefore, to fulfill our void of Indian food, I have to make it at home. This weekend I decided to tackle making homemade Naan.

When we lived in Virginia it was very easy (and cheap) to find ready made naan. Now that we live in west Texas it is very difficult to find naan anywhere, let alone at a reasonable price. This past Saturday I planned a wonderful Indian meal, and of course naan was included on the menu. After searching several stores for naan I discovered it was going to cost over $12 just for Russell and I to have enough for our meal (and perhaps some leftovers). At that point I decided making naan from scratch was the only way to go. After the fact I am so glad the naan was too expensive at the store because homemade naan is absolutely wonderful and easy to make! I also made a wonderful twist on the traditional tzatziki sauce (recipe will be coming soon) that I served the naan with.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 4 tbsp Oil , divided
• water
• 1 tsp Nigella seeds (Kalunji) (I omitted)

Directions:

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl and make a well in the middle.

Mix milk, egg, sugar and 2 tablespoons of oil together in a separate bowl. Pour into the center of the flour mixture and knead, adding water if necessary, to form soft dough (I had to add a little less than a cup of water).

Add remaining oil and knead again, then cover with a damp cloth. Allow dough to stand for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes knead dough again and cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rest for 2-3 hours.

About 30 minutes before Naan are required, preheat oven to maximum heat (I preheated the oven to 475 degrees F).

Divide dough into 8 balls and allow to rest for 3-4 minutes. Shape each ball of dough your palms to make an oval shape. Bake the Naan until puffed and golden brown, approximately 8-10 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Source: Indian Food Forever: Naan

Butter Chicken

I am constantly reading different cooking blogs in search of new recipes to try and decided why not start my own blog describing all of my co0king adventures? I am always wanting to expand my cooking accomplishments and am looking forward to blogging about all of my successes and the occasional mishaps :) .

So here goes the first post!

Russell and I love going to our favorite Indian restaurant and trying all the new foods. On the weekends they have a buffet and we are able to try so many different and yummy things. One Indian dish I especially love is Butter chicken. I know, I know, it is one of the most popular Indian dishes but it isn't one of the most popular for nothing. I was looking for a butter chicken recipe that wouldn't be too difficult to make. I found this one:

The Pioneer Woman: Tasty Kitchen-Butter Chicken

For the past few weeks Russell has been wanting to go to our Indian restaurant but we just had not found the time to go. So I decided I would surprise him with this dish. I had Wednesday off, so I went to the commissary to get all the necessary new spices I did not have on hand. Russell had been working late the whole week so I told him he had to come home a little early on Thursday because I was making a special dinner for him.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced (I used jarred minced garlic)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
• ¼ teaspoon Cumin
• ¼ teaspoon Cardamom (can be found at Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, or World Market)
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• ¼ cup Butter
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes (do not drain)
• 1 pint Whipping Cream (half-and-half will also due)
• 1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
• 2 cups Basmati Rice

Directions:

Combine the first nine ingredients and marinate over night.

Saute the onion with the butter until the onion is soft. Add the the marinated chicken (and remaining marinade) and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and turn heat to medium-low. Cook for about 30-minutes with the lid on. Add the cream. Just before serving add cilantro.

Serve over rice.

This turned out wonderful, we both loved it! The chicken was so tender and full of flavor. I thought I bought a pint of cream but just before adding it realized I only had half a pint, but it still turned out yummy. Halfway through the 30-minute cooking time I cut up the chicken into 1 inch cubes so it would be easier to serve over rice. I also served it with Naan from Trader Joe’s.