Chicken Tikka Masala

Tikka Masala is absolutely something people must try at some point in their lives. In either Chicken or lamb, both are quite intriguing but please don't buy it from the grocery. Make a night of it and go out to an Indian restaurant and enjoy yourselves. Now here are some things you might want to know. Chicken Tikka Masala consists of roasted chicken cut into cubes served in a creamy orange coloured sauce. The sauce tends to be thick and involve tomatoes but the tomato flavor isn't particularly present. Now it is a curry so expect some spice. The wonderful thing about this dish is there are dozens of ways to make it and even just changing out the chicken for lamb can alter the flavor in the best way but the main ingredients tend to be as follows : Chicken, Yogurt, cream, tomato, onion, chili, coconut. The rest of the spicing is really up for debate and any Indian cuisine that's worth its salt will be served with Basmati rice. Now you can make your own at home but since the Chicken is marinated in spiced yogurt then cooked in a clay oven, you tend to loose something. This is how I do it though.

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 nice sized splash lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 
  

Now you want to mix all of the above and let it sit in the fridge over night if you can but if not at least give it a few minutes. Then remove the chicken and discard the marinade. I have a clay pot that I bake the chicken in, a pan works just fine too. But like I said, I've never mastered how to make it as well as the restaurant does. Depending on how small you chopped the pieces depends on how long it takes to cook. My way tends to be a half hour. Or I have my man grill it.  Now while that is cooking::

•  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (this is optional)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro  (save some to make it pretty on top)

Mix all of this set together in a pan on stove top. When the chicken is done cooking, add and let simmer for I give ten minutes to let the flavors mix.  Serve over basmati rice.

Now MY Tikka Masala isn't this pretty but Wiki has it right. This is what it looks like if you go out to eat. <3

Corset signing off.