I saw this recipe and it made me want to try to cook Indian food for the first time. It can be made in a slow cooker, or I used a heavy pot that can go from stove top to oven and slow cooked it at 250 degrees for 4-5 hours. Served over rice with some store bought Naan on the side and homemade spicy cilantro dip, it is great for Fall and Winter to take the chill off. I made it on a very hot day in the California Fall and it was still great for Sunday dinner.
Chicken Tikki Masala
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2-2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 large Onion, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 inch fresh Ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoons Garam Masala (Indian seasoning)
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1 28 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream or Coconut Milk
- Cilantro, chopped (optional for you “Cilantro tastes like Soap” people, I put chopped green onion on my husbands dish so it still looked pretty)
Steps:
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. If using a slow cooker, put the chicken in the slow cooker and stir in the onions, garlic, ginger, tomato paste and spices until the chicken is well coated. Stir in the diced tomatoes, cover the cooker and set for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Uncover for the last 15 minutes and add the cream or coconut milk. Serve over rice with cilantro sprinkled on top.
If using a heavy pot in the oven, first put 2 Tablespoons olive oil in the pot on the stove over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the ginger, tomato paste and seasonings and saute a few minutes more. Add the chicken and diced tomatoes, cover and cook in the oven at 250 degrees for 5 hours. In the last 15 minutes, remove from oven and add the cream or coconut milk and simmer on the stove top or back in the oven.
Garam Masala
Ingredients:
I didn’t have the spice Garam Masala, but had nearly everything that I found in a recipe for it, so I made my own.
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds (had them from the cilantro in my garden)
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds (I had the powder and mixed it in after I toasted the other seeds)
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
- 2 dried red chile peppers, seeds discarded (I used a heaping 1 tsp. Chili Flakes from my pantry, would have used more, but it has the spicy seeds)
- 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
Steps:
Toast everything but the turmeric in a small pan (unless you have some of these in powder form) for about 2 minutes, releasing the oils and the fragrance. Put into small clean coffee or spice blender and process until fine powder. Add the turmeric and any other powdered version of the spices you have. Can be stored for 3-4 months.
Spicy Cilantro Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 3 small, fresh hot chiles (such as jalapeño or serrano), stemmed and seeded
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 2 Tbs. sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
Steps:
This packs a little heat and a little sweet and tartness. It’s great as a dip for Naan bread or to stir into the Tikka Masala. It will keep for a few days in the fridge if you didn’t finish it off at dinner.