Chicken Tikka Masala

Last night I saw "Green Hornet" and IT WAS AWESOME. I loved it. So much. Cannot wait to get my hands on the DVD. Seth Rogan was perfect. Jay Chou was perfect.

Christoph Waltz? *swoon* Perfect.

My only gripe was their choice of Cameron Diaz as Casey. Her skin looks like fruit leather.

Of course, that's an insult to the fruit leather.

Anyway, go see "Green Hornet" and have a good time. Especially if you were a fan of the original. It was a great homage.

Oh, before I start tonight's recipe, I just want to say thank you to the readers. I know that this blog is still in its fledgling stages, but I have received overwhelming praise and encouragement, friends coming out of the woodwork telling me how much they enjoy reading it, and it makes me so incredibly happy! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope I can continue living up to your expectations! 

That being said, I cannot wait to share this with you. I'm going to call it your supermarket's best kept secret. Because, well, I don't really know anyone who knows they exist and they're always kind of tucked away on grocery store shelves.

I give you: McCormick Recipe Inspirations!

These little packets of joy not only provide you with a full-scale recipe, but the exact amount of spices required to complete the dish! For amateur chefs who aren't very knowledgeable regarding their spice rack, this is one of the most useful tools. You don't have to spend extra cash on a bottle of spices you might not use again, especially if you discover you don't like them. It allows you to broaden your tastes a little. If you've never had cumin or you don't know how to use fennel, here's a tablespoon! The spice packs usually run about $2 and can be found in the spice aisle.

The moneymaker is the recipe card. It pulls right off the back of the spice packet, providing you with the list of spices and the list of grocery store item you need, so you can use it again and again. The funny thing is, a lot of the spices that are used in most of these recipes I do own - what I just really want is the card! It's like a little cheat-sheet!

If you're a little more advanced and even more adventurous, you might already have some of these spices at hand, and/or willing to go purchase what you don't.

Chicken Tikka Masala is an Indian curry dish that has disputed origins. Some say that the dish originated in Punjab. Others say it originated in London. I have even heard that it was created in India to appeal to British tastes during the Empire. There is also one story that claims an Indian chef living in Glasgow, Scotland invented it in the 1970s. It apparently is so popular in the UK that in 2002, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook declared chicken tikka masala to be "Britain's true national dish"! According to a survey done by the BBC in 2007, it has FORTY EIGHT different variations! (Source: BBC News E-Cyclopedia) The only common ingredient in these 48 variations? Chicken!

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, courtesy of McCormick Recipe Inspirations
Serves: 6
YOU WILL NEED:
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undraind
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika*
1 tsp dried minced garlic*
1 tsp garam masala*
1/2 tsp ground cumin*
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper* (optional)
*included in spice pack

Garam masala (which means, literally, "hot mixture" in Hindi) is a blend of spices that are common in Indian cuisine, which include but are not limited to coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and so much more!

Traditionally, you serve this dish with rice and/or Naan bread. I've kind of OD'ed on rice lately, so I'm changing things up a bit, mixing cuisines and serving it over couscous and also preparing a salad. I plan on making a plain couscous so as not to disrupt the flavor of the sauce.

Mise en Place

You will also need a very large skillet. I thought my 10" skillet wouldn't be big enough but it actually was! YAY!

LET'S COOK!

1. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add the chicken, onion and lemon juice; cook and stir 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add all the spices except the red pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.

 

2. Stir in tomatoes until well mixed.

3. Stir cream into cornstarch and salt until smooth. Gradually stir into skillet.

4. Stir in red pepper to taste, if desired (I do so desire!). Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; stirring frequently. Simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

5. Serve with cooked rice, cous cous and/or Naan bread, if desired.

Final verdict? OH. MY. GOD. This dish was just ... it was so ... oh my God ... so good. So delicious. Seriously, if someone was walking by our apartment and could only hear what was going on inside, it probably sounded like we were either having an orgy or eating something mind-blowingly delicious. In this case, it was the latter.

The sauce was creamy and flavorful. The chicken was juicy. The onions retained a little crunch. It wasn't even too spicy! I think this has to be one of my favorite things I have ever cooked, hands down, no contest. I have filed this recipe away for future usage.

Next week I don't know, as always. I will be sharing my (or my Mom's) meat loaf recipe, which is an instant hit here. We devour it at least twice monthly because it is easy, delicious and irresistible, and the leftovers are a plus. But otherwise, I have no clue. Tonight I'm making a project out of going through all of my cookbooks and my collection of computer printout recipes and trying to determine what I could make not only for myself but to feature on the blog. So keep your eyes open for new and interesting dishes!

Hope you all enjoy your 3-day weekend!