Chicken Tikka Masala

I have to admit that I’m no expert in Indian cuisine. But this dish is one that I’ve loved since the first time I tried it a couple of years ago, and so I finally decided to make a from-scratch version myself. Total success – despite the fact that new baby Berkley needed mommy’s attention about 58 times during this meal preparation. I persevered and 3 hours later I finally had the spices measured and the chicken marinating. Not to worry, while this recipe does contain a lot of ingredients, it’s really not too complicated to make, especially if you measure out the spices for the marinade and sauce at the same time and are able to do so without double digit interruptions. The whole family loved this, and so it’ll definitely make it into the dinner rotation occasionally. Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast cutlets

Marinade
2/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp paprika

Sauce
4 tbsp butter
1 sweet onion, finely diced
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp paprika
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of nutmeg
8 ozs tomato sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream

Tip: There are many shared spices, so measure out for both the marinade and the sauce at the same time to save time and measuring spoons.

1.) Combine chicken and all ingredients for marinade in a gallon Ziploc bag, toss around and set aside. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.) Place chicken cutlets on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
3.) While the chicken is cooking, melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add all the spices and sauté for a minute longer. Stir in the tomato sauce and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and heat throughly. Remove from heat and add in chicken. Serve over jasmine rice.