* veg option included!
ingredients:
1 package of chicken tenders, cubed (substitute extra firm tofu or paneer for veg.)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons garam masala
0.5 teaspoon ground coriander
0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 teaspoons tandoori masala
0.25 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
0.5 stick of unsalted, sweet cream butter (or ghee, if available)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
2 medium cans of tomato sauce
1 cup of half and half
salt to taste
pepper to taste
cooking spray
1 teaspoon chili powder (opt.)
listening to: punjabi mc – mundian to bach ke
indian food. i often jest with what i’m about to say, but i firmly believe i was indian in a past life. the two times i’ve had the privilege of visiting this amazing country, i felt something ineffable seep into my bones, almost like a reunion with a long-lost friend.
of course, the cuisine is one of the primary reasons i feel hearkened to this unique culture. whenever i feel the urge to eat comfort food, most of the time i’m jonesing for a dish seasoned with cumin and garam masala.
the requisite favorite is the dish in this recipe. every time we go to an indian restaurant (and, believe me, we’ve been to quite a few), my husband orders chicken tikka masala. i’ve witnessed individuals loathe to try something “foreign” fall in love with this dish. interestingly enough, i also heard an urban legend that this dish is not, in fact, indian. a british chef may have had the privilege of discovering this much beloved recipe, and, if so, kudos to him/her. regardless of its origin, the pull of chicken tikka masala cannot be ignored.
i begin by preheating the oven to 450.
in a large bowl, i toss in the cubed pieces of chicken/tofu/paneer along with 2 tablespoons of canola oil, 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves, 2 teaspoons of tandoori masala powder, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 0.5 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger. yes, you could use the powdered kind (idiot). i throw this altogether, along with a sprinkling of salt and 0.25 cup of lemon juice. set it aside until the oven is finished preheating.
in a large pot set on medium low heat, i heat 0.5 stick of butter or ghee along with the remaining tablespoon of canola oil. once the butter has melted, i throw in the cumin seeds and immediately place a lid on top of the pot. the cumin seeds will pop in the butter and release an amazing scent. after the popping dies down, throw in 2 cloves of minced garlic, the remaining 0.5 tablespoon of ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 2 teaspoons of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of tandoori masala, 0.5 teaspoon ground coriander, 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom. toss it altogether until the garlic and ginger lose a bit of their bite. this usually takes a few minutes.
now, add both cans of tomato sauce to the pot, along with 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves. bring this mixture to a low boil before adding 1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup.
once the oven is done preheating, prepare the chicken/tofu/paneer on a greased baking sheet. spread it into an even layer, and bake for 20 minutes. the chicken/tofu/paneer should have a nice red color to it, at this point.
when the chicken (etc.) is removed from the oven, add it to the tomato sauce mixture on the stove. stir it altogether before pouring in 1 cup of half and half. now, season for salt, and feel free to add chili powder, if you’d like the dish to be a bit spicy.
let the chicken tikka masala simmer on low for at least 20 minutes before serving over basmati rice.
i especially love this dish served with onion chutney and raita.
i’m pretty certain this is going to be a big hit with your friends/family. it sure has been the case with mine. please don’t be daunted by the spices. you can definitely handle it, and your home is going to smell AMAZING. if you let uncertainty affect ability, you’re robbing yourself and others of a fabulous treat (and i have no pity for you, whatsoever).
bon appetit!
Yum Yum Yum. OMG! Come back and visit soon!
This really does look phenomenal btw!
This dish also tastes great with naan (preferably garlic naan). If you don’t have the patience to make ‘em, I’m pretty sure you get ‘em in most Indian grocery stores in the US. Or you know, eat with pita bread!
awww, you’re so sweet, udy! we’d LOVE to come back. come here, too!
no, you must eat it with naan!
Yup, this is one dishes that I’d give up my first born for! So delicious, fragrant, and almost decadent. I seriously second the garlic naan option–then again, I’d probably eat naan with everything if I could (and trust me, I can’t, my ass would grow exponentially !).
Renee, is this recipe conducive to preppin’/finishing in a crock pot?
Where do you buy the stuff like fenugreek leaves and garam masala????
garlic naaan ofcourse.. with loads of salted butter and CRISP! also sliced onion with chat masala and lemon.. n then papads! ohh that”s perfect!!
i love your blogs AWESOME!
hmmmm, i think you could do the sauce in a crock pot, but i’d definitely let it simmer longer. then, you could totally add the cook chicken to the crock pot, if you wanted. again, it would affect the cooking time.
hey lexie! if you look in my blog post for things that are underlined, there are links to amazon where you can buy many of the spices.
locally, i usually go to bombay bazaar, halal international on sharon amity, and g-mart down independence for most of the off-the-beaten-path ingredients.
thanks for all your support!
yummmmmmm. all that sounds AMAZING, nidhi! i love sliced onion with chat masala and lemon!!! some crispy papads would make it perfect.
Dearest Renee,
Always up for a cooking challenge, huh? You’ll just have to come back to H-town to eat at Bombay Palace and we’ll do a taste comparison honey! But come back on another Persian holiday please so we can enjoy another wild exotic night of belly dancing!
Send your little bro packing southward too will ya? And please tell Victor it might be nice for him to have at least ONE bad hair day a year, just to make me feel better. – Love you forever, beautiful girl!
P.S. For the record, after reveling in all your accomplishments, Uncle Mark firmly believes none of you are actually related to my brother! …Too sweet, too beautiful, and way too talented!
I tried this dish and it tasted really good, almost spot on from my experiences at restaurants eating Tikka Masala. My question is that I often see this recipe utilizing yogurt and I know my local indian eatery uses yogurt with their Tikka Masala, so is there any reason your recipe does not include it?
i’ve definitely made chicken tikka masala with yogurt, and i think it would not hurt to add it to this dish — personally, i like it without yogurt bc i feel that yogurt can alter the consistency. i like the sauce a bit thick. hope this helps!