Two Options for Chicken Tikka Masala

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I loooove Indian food.  In fact, I think chicken tikka masala is right up there with Chicago deep dish pizza on my list of favorite foods.  If you know me at all, you’re wondering why I’m posting about recipes, aren’t you?  Yeah, I’m not a cook.  Since I got laid off, I’ve started cooking a little bit, and I at least help when hubs cooks.

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Okay, so here’s a glorious recipe we got from friends (I’m sure they found it somewhere, but I’m afraid I don’t know where):

1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp ground garam masala
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp paprika
8 oz canned tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 2 tsp garam masala.  Stir in bite-sized peices of chicken, cover, and refrigerate one day.  DID YOU CATCH THAT?  PREP A DAY IN ADVANCE!

The next day, grill the chicken on skewers or cook in a skillet. Then melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalepeno for one minute. Season with 2 tsp cumin, paprika, and 2 tsp garam masala. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens - about 20 minutes. Add chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with rice and naan.

My husband thinks this takes three hours. I’d say two (he tends to exaggerate a bit.) This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!!! Can’t find the time? No worries, here’s the fast version:

1 jar tikka masala (we like Trader Joe’s brand)
1.5-2 lbs chicken

We made this recently. To make it even faster, we cooked extra rice two nights before and baked extra chicken the night before. So we just cubed the chicken, threw it in a pan with the sauce, and simmered for 15-20 minutes. Easy peasy! It’s not *nearly* as good as the recipe above, but hubs says the difference in prep time was totally worth it. If it means I get to eat chicken tikka masala at home more often, I agree.

A couple of bonus tips: We started with samosas (also from Trader Joe’s) and enjoyed some Trader Joe’s naan as well.  Yum!