Chicken Tikka Masala

One of my favorite restaurants in town is India Palace. I love their samosas, their naan, their lassis. The one dish I almost always get is their Chicken Tikka Masala. It's delicious. But I've been on the lookout for a recipe to make this dish at home. I found one that I thought would be good and decided to give it a try today. I marinated the chicken this afternoon. In the meantime, Ann (Thibeault's Table) sent me her recipe for chapati. Let me tell you... to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how good the meal turned out would be an understatement! I like this even better than India Palace's dish!! It has a little bit of a bite to it, just enough to make the dish a little more interesting. And the chapati was actually fun to make. In an effort to save my knees (ha!), I moved a counter stool into the kitchen between the island and the stove and was able to cook in comfort. I have plenty of leftovers (one of the few things I really like leftover), and I also have another recipe good enough for company. Ask me how happy I am!!

Chicken Tikka Masala

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup plain white yogurt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons paprika
10 cardamom pods, cracked lightly
2 tablespoons honey
1.5 teaspoons salt
20 grinds fresh black pepper
3 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (6-ounces) can tomato paste
1 cup heavy cream

For the rice:
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
8-10 whole cardamom pods
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter

Cut the raw chicken into cubes. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, paprika, cardamom, honey, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and mix thoroughly. Cover and let marinate for 1 hour or up to overnight.

Make the rice: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water, salt, and cardamom and bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 16-20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until transluscent. Stir in the curry powder and tomato paste and mix well. Add the cream to the mixture and stir until smooth and the color is uniform. Slide in the chicken and all of the marinade, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the mixture has thickened. Serve over the rice.


Source: Dave Lieberman

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Chapati

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
salt
1 cup warm water
extra flour for dusting rolling surface

Note: Recipe can be adjusted. Just keep the ratio of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour at 2 : 1. (ie. 1 cup whole wheat, 1/2 cup all purpose.)
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Place flour in food processor and add salt. Mix well. Slowly add warm water and process until flour forms a soft dough. Knead in the machine for 50 to 60 seconds. Wrap in plastic and let the
dough rest for at least 30 minutes.

Knead dough again and divide into equal size balls , approximately 20 to 24 depending on size.
Dust with flour and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Roll each ball into a thin 7- to 8-inch circle.

Heat heavy frying pan and place chapati on pan and bake until small brown spots appear. Flip over, being careful not to puncture. Cook on flip side and then remove and place directly on to the gas flame. Bread will puff up. If you don't have a gas burner then skip this process. Butter chapatis, roll and wrap in a clean tea towel and place in low oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining breads.

Servings: 8

Source: Ann Thibeault (Thibeault's Table)