Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm here this morning with a recipe.
If I'm ordering from a restaurant I'm more of a Rogan Josh,Bhuna curry fan but at home I like to cook this.You can use an indoor grill(broiler) but I like to use the BBQ.

I've made a few changes to the original recipe.For instance it called for a whooping 7 teaspoons of salt,4 in the marinade and 3 in the sauce........I cut it down to half and half but even that was too much so I took it out the marinade and would suggest towards the end of cooking you taste the sauce and add the salt to taste.

It also suggested marinating the chicken for an hour.........I do it in the morning and leave it all day.

I also double up the amount of sauce shown here.........but that's because I'm a sauce type person !!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

Marinade:
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into big bite-size pieces
skewers (metal or wood,if wood,soak for at least 20 minutes)

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (I use crushed tomatoes)
1 cup heavy cream (I use the 35% cooking cream)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional,it's mainly a garnish)

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger. Stir in chicken, cover with cling wrap, and refrigerate for for at least 1 hour but the longer the better.

2.When you're ready to start.Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Preheat a grill for high heat.

3. Start the sauce.Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute.Add the cumin, paprika and stir,cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

3. As you turn the sauce to a simmer,lower the heat of the grill to medium high and grill the chicken skewers until the juices run clear about 5 minutes a side.

4. When the sauce has thickened slightly after it's 20 minutes,add the chicken pieces from the skewers,taste sauce for seasoning and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

5. Serve,sprinkled with the coriander with either rice,naan bread or both :)


I'll be back later with my AC challenge page. 2 posts in one day to make up for poor blogging this week !