Chicken Tikka Masala

After loving this delicious Indian dish, I wanted more.

Enter Chicken Tikka Masala. 

Bite sized nuggets of chicken are marinated in an delicious spicy yogurt sauce that includes two of our favs -- cinnamon and cumin. They are then skewered and grilled to perfection and last but not least, topped with a heavenly spicy tomato cream sauce.

There were so many things I loved about this dinner.

The marinade time is quick. Only an hour. Sometimes I don't want think about dinner when it's only breakfast.

The chicken. It  had so many layers of flavor! The flavorful marinade, that slight smoky flavor you get from the grill, and the sauce.

Did I mention the sauce? While I was making this I was a little shocked at the amount of spices (and sending up silent prayers that we weren't going to be calling the pizza delivery boy or eating cereal for dinner). Apparently Indians like their spices. Apparently I do too because the sauce was so delicious that I was literally mopping up every last drop!

Served over jasmine rice (not optional in my humble opinion) with a side of naan bread, this meal was  a keeper. I have a feeling we just might be eating more Indian food in the near future.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Favorite Family Recipes

*Plan ahead. The chicken needs to marinate for 1 hour.*

Marinade:

1 cup yogurt

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp salt

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

4 long skewers

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, ginger, and 1 tsp salt. Stir in chicken, cover, refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Grill 5 min. on each side.

For the sauce: Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Season with 2 tsp cumin, paprika and 1 tsp salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve over rice.

Posted by: Sallie