Close enough Tikka Masala

Looking at this picture, you may not think, 'Oh boy! Let me try some of that.' (You may actually wonder if this is a pre-chewed meal.) But, appearances can be deceiving, because last night was the Best Dinner Ever!!!

Not to brag, since I do it all the time, but it was amazing! I probably stared at my plate for a full minute thinking 'Did I make that?!' Who knew that I could cook something more than fairly good?! No, this was epic.

Naturally I didn't follow the recipe, because my kitchen didn't have everything it called for, but substitution makes things interesting. Before you get tired of reading, here's a warning that this post is very long and the recipe seems complicated, but it is absolutely worth any work, even if the picture doesn't look it. Ready to dive in? Here goes:

Close Enough Murgh Tikka Masala (Grilled Chicken in a Spicy Sauce) (It's Indian Food) (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken
• half a chopped onion
• dash of cayenne pepper
• few mint leaves
• few Tbls of plain yogurt
• drop of sesame oil or butter
• salt
• canola oil

• dash of
  garlic
• powdered ginger

• 2 large tomatoes
• 1/2 c cilantro
• 1 T ground coriander
• ground cumin
• dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 t paprika
• garam masala
• salt
• 1 c water
• 1/2 c cream
• rice, to serve

Marinate the chicken

Cut about 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken into 1-2 inch chunks, evenly sized.

Marinate for 6-24 hours in Marinade:

• In food processor or blender, blend to a paste half a chopped onion, a dash of cayenne pepper, a few mint leaves, some garlic, a few Tbls of plain yogurt, a dash of garam masala, and a bit of salt.

(What is Garam Masala? It's a spice used in lots, if not all, Indian dishes. It comes pre-mixed in the spice section of many grocery stores, or you can mix your own. To find spices for a good price, check whole foods stores for bulk spices. That way you don't have to pay for the fancy packaging.)

If you don't have yogurt, try sour cream. I wouldn't do it all the time, but it worked out this time.

Cook the chicken

After marinating, heat a grill, fry pan, or grill pan and cook the chicken completely. Use any extra marinade to baste, but beware that the marinade burns faster than the chicken turns brown if the pan is too hot. Oops. Transfer to a new bowl.

Finish the chicken

To the finished chicken, add 1 Tbls vegetable oil and a drop of sesame oil or butter. Sprinkle with dried fenugreek leaves, a little salt, and cumin. Keep the chicken warm.

(We're getting close to the finish, I promise.)

The Sauce:

Fried Onion paste

Thinly slice 1/2 onion. Heat enough canola oil to cover the bottom of a pan and fry the onion until browned. Put into the food processor, or blender, and add a dash of garlic, powdered ginger, and enough plain yogurt to make it smooth.

The rest of the sauce

Puree 2 large tomatoes, or about 16 oz canned tomato, with 1/2 c cilantro. Add the puree to the remaining oil in the pan from the onion paste and cook to remove the juices (5-10 minutes) stirring regularly.

Add spices (1 T ground coriander, 1 t ground cumin, 2 t dried fenugreek leaves, 1 t paprika, 1 t garam masala, 1 t salt, or to taste). Cook 1 min.

Add 1 c water and the chicken. Simmer for 5 mins. Add 1/2 c cream. Cook 5 mins more. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over rice. I like jasmine rice, myself.

Go forth! Try it!

(And here is the book with the original recipe, just to give credit)