Chicken Tikka Masala

Ryan here! I wanted to share a recipe from a cookbook I received during my bridal shower. My husband and I both absolutely love Indian food and we are regular patrons of a local Indian restaurant in Fargo, but I thought I’d give it a try once I found the recipe in the book (The Asian Cookbook, ISBN 1-40546-576-X). I have modified the recipe after a little experimenting and hope you can enjoy it as much as he did!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Tandoori Marinade
• 1 c. (plain) yoghurt
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 T. minced ginger
• 3 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces

Marinate chicken in above ingredients for 45 minutes – 1 hour in refrigerator.

Tikka Masala
• 1 1/4 c. heavy cream
• 8 oz. tomato sauce (I used two, large red tomatoes from on the vine and puree’d them)
• 2 T. ghee (or vegetable or peanut oil)
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 fresh red chili, chopped
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. paprika
• black pepper (to taste)

Preheat your grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread the marinaded chicken onto skewers. Grill until juices run clear, or five minutes on each side (we cheated a bit and used our Foreman grill :).

Put ghee or oil in a large, deep skillet over a medium heat. Saute garlic and pepper for about a minute, then add cumin and paprika. Add tomatoes and cream. Simmer on LOW until the sauce thickens, about 15-20 minutes. Add grilled chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Once finished you can garnish with cilantro. This dish is great with Basmati rice.