NOW WE'RE COOKING: Chicken tikki masala

February 8, 2012

Everyone knows that I love Indian food, right? Well, the word got out to my friends over at the Baitul Baqi Mosque in Norcross and the Georgia Women's Chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community invited me out to teach me this recipe — it was amazing! I can't wait to go back and learn other recipes ... if they'll have me!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 piece of fresh ginger, 1-inch, minced or grated
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 to 4 serrano peppers, sliced (optional, if you like spicier foods)
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Got everything? Good, because now we're cooking.

1) Trim the fat off of the chicken breasts. Season each breast with 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Season with the meat with coriander and cumin, then place in a bowl of plain yogurt. Let the chicken marinate for a few minutes — a few hours would be ideal.

Marinate the chicken breast in spices and plain yogurt. by Meghan Kotowski

2) Turn on your oven's broiler. With a metal cooling rack covered in aluminum foil, place the chicken on top and place rack 10 to 12 inches below the broiler for about 7 minutes on each side. When the edges are slightly blackened, take chicken out to cool.

3) Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in a large skillet. Saute the onions until slightly browned.

4) Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan. Sprinkle the last of the Kosher salt for more flavor.

5) Add the garam masala to the mixture. If you like to spice things up, this is the perfect time to add the sliced serrano peppers.

Side story: I tried the ladies' spicy version of the chicken tikki masala at the mosque and it blew my face off. I thought I could take some heat, but boy, I was wrong.

6) Next, add the diced tomatoes and scrap up all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes to let all of the flavors begin to melt together.

Add diced tomatoes and let cook for 5 minutes. by Meghan Kotowski

7) Add heavy cream and sugar.

8) Chop the cooled chicken and throw it in the sauce. It's OK if the chicken hasn't cooked through, it will finish cooking in the pan. Simmer everything over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.