Chicken Tikka Masala

Recently, I had my first experience with Indian food. Unfortunately, it was not at a restaurant that specialized in Indian cuisine, but nonetheless, I saw fantastic potential in the Chicken Tikka Masala that I tried. So of course, I came home and immediately started recipe searching. I found several good candidates and decided to take a little of each, along with my own ideas. The result was delicious and, I’m told, decently authentic.

1 cup plain yogurt 

1 T. lemon juice

1 ½ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground black pepper

½ tsp. ground ginger

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

4 metal or wooden skewers

1 T. butter

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and finally minced

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. salt

1 – 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream or half & half

1 T. lemon juice

In a medium bowl, stir together the first 7 ingredients until well blended. Stir in the cubed chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill and lightly coat grates with cooking spray. Thread chicken onto skewers and grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and jalapeño; sauté for 1-2 minutes. Stir in spices, and then add tomato sauce and cream. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes, until sauce thickens. Add grilled chicken cubes and simmer for 10 minutes more.  Stir in lemon juice. Serve with sauce, over steamed basmati rice.