Chicken Tikka Masala

For Valentine's Day this year I wanted to do something different, so I made Chicken Tikka Masala with saffron rice and homemade naan.  It was actually quite delicious.  I was a little nervous for my first Indian dish, so I couldn't be happier with the result.

The recipe is from allrecipes.com and other than a few changes (recommended by the reviews on their website and I'm glad I listened)-it was perfect.  For starters-omit almost all the salt in their recipe.  That is an obnoxious amount of salt.  Use less ginger, and we added a serrano pepper for a little bit more bite.  Other than that it didn't need any changes.  And it tasted better than we've had at some restaurants.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 long skewers
•  
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat a grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic, serrano and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, and paprika. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

We served this up with some yummy Cheesy Artichoke Triangles as an appetizer.  It's a Pampered Chef recipe and there will definitely be more on that later.  It was also really good, and another recipe I would make again.