from last wednesday april 18, 2012:
CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
![](/forums/thumbs/12-16/482425747-thumb_ChickenTikkaMasala_005.jpg)
Ythair gave me a recipe a while back and I finally decided to make it tonight to share with my family (they were all completely unexposed to indian food and this is a great introductory dish). Surprisingly even my brother was going to be here for the night so it was even more fitting for me to slave away in the kitchen for 2 1/2 hours to make sustenance for the people I love; it's not often we all get to have dinner together. Complete success. My dad smoked a bowl and passed out on the couch after telling me I should cook every night. I am definitely not cooking like this every night from now on but I might make an effort to do it more often than I currently do.
INGREDIENTS- 3 whole (to 4) Chicken Breasts
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Coriander Seed
- Cumin (to taste)
- 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
- 6 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 whole Large Onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 piece (approximately 2 Inches) Chunk Fresh Ginger
- Garam Masala (I had a hard time finding this, you can always make your own if you can't find it and have a decent spice stock)
- 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
- Sugar
- 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Basmati Rice
OPTIONAL:
- Fresh Cilantro
- Chili Peppers (I used Serrano Peppers)
- Turmeric
- Cayenne Pepper
Garam Masala Mix:- 1 tablespoon coriander; ground
- 1 tablespoon cumin; ground
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper; ground
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds; ground
- 1 tablespoon ginger; ground
- 1 tablespoon cardamom; ground
- 1 tablespoon nutmeg; ground
- 1 TEASPOON cloves; ground
DIRECTIONS:![](/forums/thumbs/12-16/482194880-thumb_ChickenTikkaMasala_015.jpg)
Season your chicken breasts with some kosher salt, coriander, and cumin. Coat the breasts completely with the plain yogurt (it rubs the yogurt on its skin).
Place chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side or until it has
some nice blackened edges, but be careful so as not to totally char the chicken. Remove from oven when done.
![](/forums/thumbs/12-16/482194117-thumb_ChickenTikkaMasala_003.jpg)
Okay, so you need to dice your onion, mince your garlic, and peel and grate roughly a 1x2 inch chunk of ginger; might as well go ahead and chop up your
peppers as well and set them aside for later (I find it easier to keep track of things if I do all my prep stuff at the same time, saves me from doing a last minute
scramble to chop something up that I forgot). Anyway, in a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat; toss in your onions and sauté those
babies until they are slightly browned; also about a tablespoon of salt. Add the garlic and ginger to your onions and maybe another tablespoon of salt if you
want and reduce your heat to MEDIUM. Time to add 3 tablespoons of Garam Masala and those chili peppers I told you to chop up earlier -- now is the time to
add them for some heat.
![](/forums/thumbs/12-16/482175111-thumb_ChickenTikkaMasala_011.jpg)
Once all that is done you are going to add your can of diced tomatoes; continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add about
1 tablespoon sugar, it'll reduce to acidity of the tomatoes. I also added a good dose of cayenne pepper here for some more heat. Simmer for a few minutes
and start making your Basmati rice.
![](/forums/thumbs/12-16/482174569-thumb_ChickenTikkaMasala_001.jpg)
If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual (bring 2 cups rice and 3 cups water to a boil then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 12-14 minutes)
but make sure that you use Basmati rice, adding 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon ground tumeric. If you do have a rice cooker then
you own a godsend that I am not fortunate enough to possess.
[I forgot to take a picture of my rice!
![:facepalm: :facepalm:](https://files.growery.org/smileys/facepalm.gif)
To make up for it here is a picture of one of my dogs -- he thought it smelled amazing too and wouldn't stop eyeballing my chickens]
![](/forums/thumbs/12-16/482759679-thumb_Bruisey.jpg)
Fuck it. Carrying on, your Tikka Masala sauce should have had a chance to simmer for a while now so we're going to add in 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and stir it
up real good-like. Chop your chicken boobs into chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce as well. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro goes great here but
it is completely optional.
![](/forums/thumbs/12-16/482175512-thumb_ChickenTikkaMasala_004.jpg)
Serve that delicious rice I forgot to take pictures of with the Chicken Tikka Masala on top; garnish with a pinch more cilantro. Eat that bitch up like there is no tomorrow.
I decided to go back for seconds to eat while I watched a couple episodes of Dexter.
![](/forums/thumbs/12-16/481464442-thumb_ChickenTikkaMasala_014.jpg)
This will be even better reheated for breakfast tomorrow.