Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Simple Suppers - Chicken Tikka Masala

Let me preface this by saying - and you may want to sit down - but, prior to this, I'd never eaten Indian food before. I used to be a real nervous Nelly about trying new things, but once I got past that - I just never got around to trying it.  So, I really haven't a clue how authentic (or not) this recipe is.  But, aside from a few spices I needed to pick up, it was something I already had all the ingredients for and seemed easy enough. Here's what you'll need: 
    2 Tbsp olive oil 
    1 cup diced onion 
    1 1/2 tsp cumin powder 
    1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 
    2 tsp coriander powder 
    1 tsp turmeric powder 
    1/4 tsp ground cloves 
    1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 
    1 tsp to 
    1/2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
    2 tsp minced fresh ginger 
    2 tsp minced garlic 
    2 Tbsp tomato paste 
    1 can petite diced tomatoes 
    3 chicken breasts, 
    2 chicken breasts, diced (raw)
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sautee until golden brown. In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, cardamom, coriander, tumeric, cloves, cinnamon, and red pepper fakes. Add the spices all at once to the onions and sautee for another minute. Add the ginger, garlic, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a little bit of water. Add the raw chicken cubes and mix well. Simmer 10-12 minutes, until chicken is cooked.



You can serve this over brown or white rice, and it's pretty damn delicious.  I was, for heat sissies, a bit on the spicy side - but the other flavors are so rich, you don't get too overwhelmed. 


Note: The turmeric will turn almost anything it touches an orange-yellow color.  So, if you refrigerate leftovers, be sure to spray the container with some non-stick spray to prevent hardcore staining. 

2 comments:

Ginger said...

I will definitely be trying this recipe! All the ingredients look authentic to me, especially the spices.

Jeff from Middletucky said...

Most chicken tikka masala recipes that I've eaten (and, damn, are they good!) marinate the chicken in yogurt, and then the sauce is finished with a bit of heavy cream. Having said that, though, the above recipe looks and sounds quite tasty.

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