One Diva Dishing: Chicken Tikka Masala

You know that neon-glow chicken that is passed as Tikka Masala and that you see at pretty much every mall food court? Yeah... this is not it. This is as close to authentic as you can get. This recipe is courtesy of Cook's Illustrated. You need to be a member to access any recipe on the site but I figure as long as I give them credit for the recipe and link to the paid Web site, I am safe... That is a form of payment, right, like...free advertising, right??

This recipe seems long but don't let the list of ingredients scare you. It's quite easy albeit may take a while to finish. And not all of your time spent is on labor. Quite a few minutes (maybe even an hour) are unattended time.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my husband and our guests do. For a spicier dish, do not remove the seeds or the pith of the Serrano chile; and contrary to popular belief, the heat is mostly in the pith and not so much in the seeds.

अपने भोजन का आनंद लें

(Bon Appétit! Thank you Google Translate!)

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

Chicken Tikka
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Masala Sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions:

FOR THE CHICKEN:

Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so the spices mixture adheres.

Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside. It's best to use whole plain yogurt but in a pinch, low-fat will do. Let me HIGHLY recommend Trader Joe's plain whole milk yogurt. It beats every brand I've tried and I only eat plain yogurt so trust me, I've tried them all.

FOR THE SAUCE:

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cream and return to simmer.

Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler.

Prepare your pan, either a wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. I personally prefer to use a broiler pan, lined with heavy duty aluminum foil and then I slice through the slits. This is so much better than using a pan with a cooling rack in it. When you are done, cleanup is minimal because the yogurt chicken sticks like glue to the wire rack or unlined pan. Trust me on this one! See illustration:

Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt).

Arrange chicken on wire rack or foil lined and slit broiler pan.

Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.