Chicken Tikka Masala

And now, from the land of Bollywood and bindis, I present for your consideration a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala. I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the actual food, but it turned out so well I had to post it anyway.

Ingredients:

1 large diced onion

2 Tbs. finely chopped ginger (fresh not dried)

3 cloves garlic

1 diced jalapeno

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. garam masala

1 1/4 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cardamom

1/2 tsp. coriander

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup half and half or plain yogurt

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, chunked

salt and pepper

2 Tbs. butter

Basmati rice (I used quinoa cause I had it)

Combine onion, ginger, jalapeno, and a little olive oil in a large saute pan. Heat over medium-high until the onion is lightly browned. Stir in garlic, garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander and saute about a minute until the spices become aromatic.

Pour this mixture into a blender and add the tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend it up until smooth. Pour this back in to the saute pan and add the half and half or yogurt and bay leaves and bring to a gentle boil. If you have a spatter shield put it on top of the pan or it could get a little messy. Simmer and stir often until the mixture is reduced to a thickness of your liking. Pour the sauce into a bowl.

With the same pan (rinse it out), add olive oil and heat. Salt and pepper the chicken and saute until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the sauce back to the pan with the chicken, and simmer until the chicken is done. Cut the butter into chunks and melt it into the sauce.

Serve over basmati rice or quinoa and watch a Bollywood movie while eating. I loved this dish!