You guessed it...another Sunday dinner. This week, my culinary adventure took me to India. I really like Indian cuisine but admittedly, have never been brave enough to attempt creating a dish from this country. Why oh why was I such a chicken?
I would surmise that most of their dishes are fairly labor intensive. Based on the way spices are incorporated, simmered to perfection, and the meals are created in stages I salute this culture and the overriding tradition of teaching children to cook in the family kitchen at a young age. There is always something to learn and appreciate about different cultures when you attempt to emulate a dish from their country.
This week I chose to attempt Chicken Tikka Masala. I have to admit, I am an avid browser of the Pioneer Woman website. I have never been steered wrong by any of her recipes and the beauty of most of them is they are very easy to tweak and customize to the tastes of your audience. This recipe was on her website and so I figured why not? When I announced yesterday that we were going to have Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner tonight, I can tell you I did not exactly receive a rousing round of encouragement from my most honest critic, my husband. Obviously, I was undeterred, I made it anyway.
I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous when it came to serving time. I tasted, tweaked, tasted some more until I thought it seemed right but that doesn't mean my family was going to agree with me. So, I dished up my husbands plate first and then waited, breath held, for the verdict. "This is very good honey." Phew! That is all I wanted to hear. Once again, I am slapped in the face with how personal cooking is.
This dish was so fun for me to make. I used spices that I have used either on an incredibly limited basis or never at all. Garam Masala? Ever heard of it? I had heard of it but I can say with no shame at all that I had no idea what it was. I certainly had no idea it was an Indian spice mix. Now that I know, I am going to be on the lookout for additional recipes that call for this lovely mixture.
If you don't mind working in stages, taking a bit of creative license, and devoting a few hours of your day to your kitchen I would highly recommend trying this recipe. Yet another to add to my "make it again" list.
I am providing you with the recipe, if you'd like to see pictures of the recipe as it is made in stages click the link. Get in there and experiment, when it pays off...there is no better feeling!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/chicken-tikka-masala-by-pastor-ryan/
Recipe:
Ingredients
- 3 whole (to 4) Chicken Breasts
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Coriander
- 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
- 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
- Sugar
- 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Basmati Rice
- _____
- OPTIONAL:
- Fresh Cilantro
- Chili Peppers
- Turmeric
- Frozen Peas
Preparation Instructions
Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with some kosher salt. Next sprinkle
them on both sides with some coriander and cumin. Then coat the chicken breasts
completely with the plain yogurt. Set the 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. Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken. It
should have slightly blackened edges. Remove from oven.
Next dice one large onion. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince your garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 by 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Also throw in about 1 tablespoon of salt.
Next you are going to add about 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice. And if you like it hot, this is also when you will add your hot chili peppers. Serranos work well. Now 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. Let this mixture simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.
To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 4 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but make sure that you use Basmati rice.
After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, add in the 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Now, chop up your chicken breasts into chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro is a nice addition if you like cilantro. You can also throw some frozen peas into the cooked rice, give them a stir, and allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas. It tastes great and gives another nice dash of color. Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top. Make sure to have some Nann bread handy, too.
Next dice one large onion. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince your garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 by 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Also throw in about 1 tablespoon of salt.
Next you are going to add about 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice. And if you like it hot, this is also when you will add your hot chili peppers. Serranos work well. Now 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. Let this mixture simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.
To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 4 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but make sure that you use Basmati rice.
After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, add in the 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Now, chop up your chicken breasts into chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro is a nice addition if you like cilantro. You can also throw some frozen peas into the cooked rice, give them a stir, and allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas. It tastes great and gives another nice dash of color. Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top. Make sure to have some Nann bread handy, too.
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