Mr. O-P is the guy
who first introduced me to Indian food. It was a whole different kind of taste
for me, but I liked it. He also gave me my first taste of chutney and I liked
that enough to begin making my own, and enjoying it with chicken and ham in
addition to the various Indian dishes. So when I saw a recipe on epicurious.com for a Quick Chicken
Tikka Masala, I had to try it. The claim was that it would be on the table
in 40 minutes. It nearly was, though I changed up the recipe a bit, adding some
precious minutes, and let it simmer a tiny bit more because I wanted to make
sure that the flavors were fully infused and the chicken fully done. For what
turned out to be minimal effort, it gave a big return. This dish is complex,
intensely flavorful, and absolutely delicious. It has a bit of a peppery
kick, so a delicate palate might want to cut back a bit on the cayenne. As
written, it nicely serves 2. I served it with coconut rice, various chutneys,
and naan. It you're looking to spice up your midweek dinner doldrums with
something exotic yet easy, this is it.
Quick Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted from
epicurious.com
1 (1-1/2”) piece ginger,
peeled
2 garlic cloves,
peeled
1/2 medium yellow
onion
1 whole boneless
skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes
1 teaspoons kosher
salt, divided, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper, divided,
plus more to taste
1-1/4 teaspoons
garam masala, divided
1 tablespoon
vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted
butter
1 tablespoon tomato
paste
3/4 teaspoon
turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
pepper
1 (14-ounce) can
crushed tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas,
thawed
2 tablespoons heavy
cream
¼ cup coconut milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh
lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh
cilantro leaves and tender stems
Pulse ginger and
garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add onion and pulse again
until finely chopped.
Toss chicken with 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 tsp. garam masala in a medium bowl.
Heat oil over high heat
in a 10” skillet. Add chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly
browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean bowl.
Heat the same skillet
over medium-high heat and add butter, chopped onion mixture, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8
tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and
translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add tomato paste, turmeric, cayenne, and
remaining 3/4 tsp. garam masala and cook, stirring constantly, about 30
seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 2
minutes.
Return chicken to pan, add peas, heavy cream, and coconut milk. Cook, stirring occasionally,
until warmed through, about 3 minutes more. (At this point I covered the pan and let the chicken simmer on low heat while I prepared the rice.)
Remove from heat and
stir in sour cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 2
plates, top with cilantro, and pass the naan.
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I'm fascinated by the fact that chicken tikka masala was invented in the UK, and that quite a few restaurants there claim to be its point of origin. Some Brits consider it to be one of their national dishes, reflecting the way they absorb new culinary ideas and tastes. Sounds like a good recipe!
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I've always wanted to try this dish! YUM!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
This dish looks so good! Thanks for sharing it at Cooking and Crafting with J&J!
ReplyDelete