Monday, October 5, 2015

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - India

           One of my all time favorite Indian foods has got to be Chicken Tikka Masala. It's a dish made with roasted chunks of chicken in a creamy, spicy sauce. This authentic dish is a staple in India, and is surprisingly popular in the U.K. In fact, it has been dubbed Britain's National dish! Serve it with Naan or plain basmati (long grain) rice for a deliciously comforting meal.


Spices have been closely associated with culural traditions around the world, but espcially in India. India is known to be the "Land of Spices". About 7,000 years ago, Indian spices were a key component of its trade with Mesopotamia, China, Sumeria, Egypt, and Arabia along with perfumes and textiles. Today, I can easily buy a few jars of spices at my local grocery store, but back then, people were willing to risk their lives for Indian spices. Indian history is full of traders and invaders alike, with the mission to steal spices. Spices were tremendously difficult to procure, making them even more valuable than gold! It is said that a sack of pepper was worth a man's life. Nowadays, Indian spices are integral to cuisines in several countries including the U.K., Germany, Thailand, Japan, etc. In multiple ways, it can be said that spices were key in shaping the course of global history.

This dish may taste complicated because of it's many spices, but it's actually relatively simple. Other than the garam masala, all of the ingredients are easily available in the United States. If you can't find garam masala, don't worry. It's just a spice blend to make life a bit easier for you. You can make your own by mixing equal parts cumin, cloves, peppercorns, star anise, coriander seeds, nutmeg, and mace together. Also, this dish is traditionally baded in a tandoor oven, although I know that few Ameriacan households have those. An oven works fine for this recipe. 

Pictorial:

Start by mixing all of the marinade ingredients (exact measurements below) thoroughly. 
 
Add chopped chicken breast to yogurt mixture, and allow to marinade for at least three hours, or overnight.


 
After the chick has marinated, preheat the oven to 400F, then spread the pieces out on a well greased baking sheet. Make sure no piece touch. Bake for about 20 minutes, flip, and bake for another 5.

 
While the chicken is baking, prepare your sauce. Melt butter in a shallow saucepan, and saute minced garlic and jalapeno until fragrant. 
 
Add cayenne, cumin, and garam masala, and stir for a few seconds to intensify the flavor. Then dump in a small can of tomato sauce and let bubble and reduce. Add 1/3 cup heavy cream and a tablespoon of sugar. Let sauce simmer and thicken. 









By now, the chicken should be done. Add it into the sauce with a handful of chopped cilantro. Mix well. and serve with rice or naan.

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe:

Ingredients:
For the marinade-
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 Cup of Plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp fresh grated garlic
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper (or Kashmiri Chili powder)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
For the sauce-
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce.
1/3 cup of heavy cream
1 tsp sugar
A handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Method:
– In a mixing bowl, add all the marinade ingredients- Yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper and salt and stir well.
– Then add the chicken pieces and mix well so that all the pieces are well coated with the marinade and let it sit for a couple hours (or overnight).
– After the chicken has marinated pre-heat the oven to 400F then spread the pieces out one at a time on a well greased baking sheet. Pop them in the oven for 15-20 mins then switch the oven to broiler and let the chicken brown or even develop a few burned spots for another 5-6 minutes.
– While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the sauce. Start by melting 2 tbsp of butter in a skillet/ deep fry pan.
– Add to it the minced garlic and finely chopped jalapeno pepper (add only 1/2 for a less spicy sauce).
– Then add the spices- cayenne pepper, garam masala and cumin powder. Stir and fry the spices for a few seconds. Then pour in a small can of tomato sauce.
– Season with salt and let it bubble for a few minutes.
– Then turn the heat to low and pour in 1/3 of a cup of heavy cream.
– Add a tablesppon of sugar for sweetness, stir well, cover and let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes.
– Your chicken should be done by now. Simply add the chicken to the sauce with a handful of roughly chopped cilantro and mix well.
– Garnish with some more fresh cilantro and serve hot with Indian flat bread (naan) or plain long grain rice.

Based on Noreen Hiskey's recipe which can be viewed here.

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