Chicken Tikka Masala and Basmati Rice
by Kathi, Site Owner
(Thrown Together Meals)
Chicken Tikka Masala
In Kathi's test kitchen today, I tried two recipes: Chicken Tikka Masala & Aloo Gobi, which constituted "Indian take-out" from Aarti Party on FoodNetwork.com. I tried this because I love all of Aarti's recipes, but chicken tikka masala is one of my daughters' favorite Indian recipes.
This was a solid, great-tasting combo that I'd highly recommend. It took me a long time to get it on the table though. But it was worth waiting for!
The Recipes
Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into chunks
Sauce:
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced
2 serrano peppers, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 to 2 cups water
Oil, for grilling
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves or 1 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
Directions:
For the marinade: 1. In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients.
2. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
3. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.
For the sauce:1. To make the curry, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter.
2. When the butter has melted, add the ginger & garlic and serrano peppers and saute them until lightly browned around the edges.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook until it darkens in color a bit, about 3 minutes.
4. Next, add in the garam masala and paprika and keep sauteing for another minute or so to draw out their flavors.
5. Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
6. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and keep cooking until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.
7. Add more water if sauce reduces too much.
8. Next, turn your grill on or heat your grill pan.
9. When it is ready, brush it with oil or spray it.
10. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off any excess marinade.
11. Grill the chicken until it's nicely charred on both sides, which should take about 2 minutes per side.
12. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves (or maple syrup) to the sauce.
13. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 more minutes.
14. Add the cream and stir through, then garnish with fresh cilantro.
Recipe courtesy of Aarti Party/FoodNetwork.com
Aarti recommended that the sauce be blended before adding the chicken; I don't think it's necessary. Aarti served her chicken dish with basmati rice and this cauliflower/potato dish:
Aloo Gobi
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large serrano pepper (or a few red pepper flakes)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt
2 T. minced cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. Mix the ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. This is a simple wet masala (spice mix). Set aside.
2. In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
3. Add the serrano pepper (cut in half), wait 30 seconds, and then add the cumin seeds and wait until they're done spluttering.
4. Add the wet masala (careful, it will also splutter).
5. Cook until the paste thickens, deepens in color slightly, and oil oozes out of the perimeter of the masala, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the cauliflower and potatoes, stirring to coat the vegetables with the masala.
7. Season with salt and add 1/2 cup water.
8. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Then, remove the lid, stir, and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked through, about 5 more minutes.
10. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Recipe courtesy of Aarti Party/FoodNetwork.com
I used a sweet potato instead of russet, to be healthier.
Possible Variations
- Serve with Naan bread or some other starch, instead of basmati rice (or use brown basmati rice).
- Use nonfat half and half instead of heavy cream.
- Use a different type of meat.
Rating Factors
Here is a rundown of this recipe, based on my standard rating factors:
Accuracy of ingredients & directions. I found the recipe to be very accurate.
Flavor. It was excellent! You can adjust the heat by using a different type of pepper, less pepper, or leaving out the seeds as I did (still plenty hot). I might have put more spice in the cauliflower dish.
Prep & cooking time. Recipe says the chicken takes 35 minutes and the cauliflower takes 25 minutes to prep and cook. It took me over an hour to get both dishes on the table.
Ease of preparation. No special skills are needed, so it's easy, just complex, with tons of steps.
How well my family liked it. Hubby seemed to like it a lot, though he didn't rave about it as much as I did.
Healthiness rating. By using chicken breasts, instead of thighs, substituting nonfat half and half for heavy cream, sweet potatoes for regular potatoes and brown rice for white rice, it was pretty easy to increase the healthiness of the original recipe.
Cost-effectiveness. I would say it was cost effective.
Other. If you love Indian food, I'd recommend this combination. It was super delicious!
Aarti Sequeira really knows how to make Indian food accessible to us Americans, and this meal is the perfect example. It's one of my favorite Aarti meals yet!
Related Pages
You can view or share other ethnic recipes here or shop for ethnic cookbooks here.
View more test kitchen recipes
More Stuff You Might Enjoy
If you haven't seen them already, I encourage you to explore all of the sections of our site. If you can't find what you're looking for quickly enough, then try out Recipe Index page.
Oh, and if you didn't come into the site through the home page, you may not be sure what the whole "thrown together" concept is all about. So have a look at my About the Concept page to learn more...
And won't you contribute a recipe or a cookbook review of your own here?
And in case you didn't notice the links in the right and left columns, there are lots of ways to keep up with other readers' contributions (and my own new pages):
Looking for something?
Use the search box: