Traditional Tikka Masala

A bulk of our television time is spent watching cooking shows.  I like crime, mystery and haunted stuff.  Mr. DD likes sports and Little Devil watches British television or obscure documentaries.  The one thing the three of us can always agree to is an informative cooking show or competition.  We've been watching Chef's Table on Netflix and recently watched the episode on Gaggan in Bangkok, Thailand.  Led by Indian Chef Gaggan Anand, it's consistently voted one of the world's best restaurants.  It features Indian flavors married with molecular gastronomy techniques.  (Imagine Willy Wonka if you don't know what that is.) Now I absolutely love Indian food, but I cannot imagine myself handling a giant container of liquid nitrogen.  Craving Indian food, we decided to go the more traditional recipe route, searching for something by Madhur Jaffrey.  She is widely known for introducing Indian cuisine to the United States.  I'm constantly trying to Indian recipes, with various levels of success.  We all agree my Butter Chicken recipe is our family favorite, but I know deep down it isn't traditional or authentic.  This past Sunday Supper was devoted to Indian cuisine, and the three of us spent a day tackling Tikka Masala for a truly classic Indian meal.

Such an authentic taste of true Indian food.

Begin by marinating the chicken.

Look at those thinly sliced onions!

Grill the marinated chicken pieces on skewers.

Add the grilled chicken pieces to the masala.

Serve over Basmati Rice.

Traditional Tikka Masala
by: Madhur Jaffrey

To Marinade the Chicken:

675g boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 very large) cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon peeled, finely grated ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2-3/4 chili powder (we interpreted this to mean cayenne pepper)
6 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the Masala:

4 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces onions, halved and finely sliced
1 tablespoon peeled, finely grated ginger root
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
3/4 teaspoon chili powder (again we used cayenne)
2 teaspoons paprika
4 tablespoons yogurt
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and very finely chopped
350 ml chicken stock
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Start by marinating the chicken.  In a non-reactive bowl place the chicken pieces.  Rub with salt and lemon juice.  Poke the chicken pieces slightly with the tip of a knife and rub the seasonings in again.  Then set aside for 20 minutes.  Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, whipping cream and garam masala. Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook, make the masala.  Pour the 4 tablespoons of oil into a large, preferably non-stick lidded pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the onions.  Stir fry the onions until they are brown, approximately 6-7 minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic and continue to fry for 1 minute.  Add the ground coriander, tumeric, chili powder and paprika.  Stir for a few seconds and add a tablespoon of yogurt.  Stir until it is absorbed and then add the remaining yogurt in the same way, one tablespoon at a time. 

Add the tomatoes, cooking for 3-4 minutes until they turn pulpy.  Add the chicken stock and salt.  Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.  The sauce should turn thick.  Stir in the garam masala and cilantro leaves, taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

Shortly before you eat, prepare the grill to its highest setting.  (We used the broiler in the oven because it was raining.) Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers.  Brush with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and balance the skewers on the rim of the cooking tray (we used a cooling rack) so that the meat does not touch the bottom of the tray.  Place about 5 inches from heat source and cook for 6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned, cooked through and charred in places.  (Cut a large piece of chicken in the center to check there is no trace of pink.)

When the chicken is cooked, add to the warm sauce.  Serve immediately with Basmati Rice.

Prep Time:  Approximately 8 hours marinating     Cook Time:  Approximately 40 minutes