Chicken Tikka Masala

 

One of my college roommates, Corey, introduced me to Chicken Tikka Masala at the Bombay House in Provo, Utah when I was a sophomore and I fell in love.  Paul and I lived just a block from the restaurant for the first couple of years of our marriage and we would often go there to share this dish when a recipe failed or when we were craving Indian food.  But after moving away I haven't been able to find any chicken tikka masala I like nearly as well as that served by Bombay House, and I've even tried it in Indian food meccas like Washington, D.C., London, New York and California.  After stumbling on some recipes that purported to be perfect Bombay House copycats (close, but they definitely weren't the same thing), I tweaked, combined, and worked out how to make my own version that - dare I say it? - rivals or even surpasses that of Bombay House.  For me, this is ultimate comfort food - rich, spicy (but not too spicy), and fresh.  And I like to double the batch so I have leftovers for Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza later in the week.

 

* As a note: I leave out the jalapeno altogether and use only 1 1/2 cups of the cream because I don't want my girls to balk at the spiciness. 

 

Chicken Tikka Masala (Bombay House Style)

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoons ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon garam masala

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

 

Sauce

 

1 tablespoon butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, minced (optional)

2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce

1 1/2 to 2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

              

Combine all marinade ingredients in a glass container. Add chicken pieces, cover with a tightly sealed lid, and toss to coat. Allow chicken to marinade for 1 hour.
               

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently. Add the jalapeno (if using), coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt and stir to combine. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.

 

Meanwhile, thread the chicken onto soaked skewers. Discard remaining marinade. Grill the chicken on a hot grill for 5 minutes on each side until the chicken is done. Remove the chicken from the skewers and keep warm.

 

Transfer the chicken to the simmering sauce and stir in the cream. Allow to simmer another 10 minutes or so until sauce thickens slightly. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with basmati rice and garlic naan.

Adapted from Mattawa Mum and I can't wait to try her Chicken Coconut Kurma!