What's for Dinner? Chicken Tikka Masala

By Molly Durham in Food on Jan 17, 2012 5:00PM

If you're like us, you're never not in the mood for Indian food. This recipe is simple, and we recommend investing in whatever Indian spices you can get your hands on, because if you make it once, you'll want to make it again.

It's not too spicy, so those who can't take the heat don't necessarily need to fear this recipe. Your kitchen will likely smell like an Indian restaurant while you're making it. It also gets even better as it sits, so hooray for leftovers!

This recipe doesn't have to be exact. Use less meat and more sauce if you like your Indian dishes saucy so you can dip naan in them. Use only part of the sauce recipe if you want the opposite effect.

Ingredients

For the chicken:
1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 clove garlic
Two (6 to 8-ounce) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Teaspoons Grated or Minced Fresh Ginger

For the sauce:
One (14.5-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Small Onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Teaspoon Grated or Minced Fresh Ginger
1 Small Serrano Chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 1/2 Teaspoons Tomato Paste
1 1/2 Teaspoons Garam Masala
Salt
1/3 Cup Plain Yogurt

Directions
Combine the garam masala, cayenne, and salt in a bowl. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then coat the chicken thoroughly with the spices, pressing to help them adhere. Place the chicken on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. Whisk the yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger together in a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Process the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until pureed, about 15 seconds. Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the processed tomatoes, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the yogurt and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to be six inches from the broiler element, and heat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and top with a wire rack. Using tongs, dip the chicken into the yogurt mixture so that it is thickly coated and arrange on the prepared wire rack; discard any excess yogurt mixture. Broil the chicken until the exterior is lightly charred in spots and the thickest part of the breasts registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking.

Let the chicken rest for five minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Stir the chicken pieces into the warm sauce (do not simmer the chicken in the sauce). Stir in the cilantro, season with salt to taste, and serve.