Chicken Tikka Masala

This pains me to admit it, but Chicken Tikka Masala isn't truly an Indian dish. Even more painful, it's a creation (or adapation) by the Brits. *whew* It's a relief to have that not-so-secret factoid out in the open.

While no one knows for certain who created Chicken Tikka Masala (also known as CTM), there are many theories all of which point straight back to the UK. This country, which often conjures images of bland food, has created one of my favorite dishes. It blows my mind to pieces.

You see, I'm of Indian decent. I was born here and both my parent's immigrated from India. Relatives and Auntie's (a term of respect and endearment for Indian women a generation or more older) all made great home made curries. But, restaurants always meant a special kind of curry that I thought no one from my region of India made. Chicken Tikka Masala. Little did I know that it wasn't just my region of India, it just isn't made in India. Period! It's purely a westernized dish. What a foolish second generation Indian I am.

Today some of the best Indian food in the world comes from England. Curry is so ingrained in the local culture that it is considered a British tradition. The enourmous consumption has caused a shortage of chefs available to cook at curry houses. The spicey dishes are perfect with a beer at pubs and can be found seemingly everywhere: from the frozen food aisles at Tesco to takeaway restaurants dotted across the country.

While there is no one way to make chicken tikka masala, the dishes tend to involve a few similar characteristics. Chicken tikka is marinated chicken cooked in a tandoor (a clay oven). Masala is a blend of spices. The cooked chicken is covered with a creamy, masala-infused tomato sauce. Often dyes are used to make the color of the curry orange.

Here is a fairly easy recipe to make Chicken Tikka Masala to make at home (no tandoor necessary). The number of ingredients looks intimidating, but once you've gathered all the supplies, it's really not that bad.

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Adapted from Yakuta's recipe on All Recipes.

Ingredients
Marinade1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

Sauce1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Optional: 4 long skewers

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Stir in chicken, cover (or place in a large ziplock bag) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but no longer than overnight. If using skewers, soak the skewers in water for 1 hour.
2. Heat grill to high. Lightly oil grill. Skewer chicken or place chicken pieces on the grill. Discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side (or 5 minutes on a George Foreman-style grill).
3. For the sauce, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and chopped jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Allow the spices to heat up for about 30 seconds, careful not to allow the spices to burn.
4. Stir in tomato sauce. Slowly add cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve while hot.

Tips

• Short on time? Skip the marinade. Just grill the chicken plain and cover with sauce. It's still tasty!
• Watching the waist? Put in less cream. Try adding a little cream at a time until it tastes creamy, but not too indulgent.
• Prefer dark meat? Although I love this dish, I really love dark meat chicken. You can substitute boneless leg and thigh meat in this recipe. All Recipes has easy to follow instructions on how to debone a chicken thigh, but you can always ask your butcher to do it for you.
• Too spicy? Remove the seeds of the jalapeno before chopping it. Most of the heat comes from the seeds. Without the seeds, the jalapeno still adds a lot of flavor, just not the heat. Don't rub your eyes when working with chilies! If you are really worried, wear gloves while chopping.

Nutritional Information
Servings Per Recipe: 4Amount Per ServingCalories: 407Total Fat: 28.9gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 4553mgTotal Carbs: 14.3gDietary Fiber: 2.3gProtein: 24.6g

Where to Eat Chicken Tikka Masala
Shalimar
1409 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 776-4642
www.shalimarsf.com
Shalimar is soo tasty. It is one of my favorite Indian/Pakistani restaurants in the Bay Area. I love the hole-in-the-wall location I listed above, but there is also a more formal restaurant in S.F. and in Fremont. They are all still kind of dives, but the food is cheap and very good. If you go to the one on Polk street, bring a bottle of beer to help with the heat of the dishes (as of my last visit, they did not serve alcohol, but you can BYOB). For the ill-of-heart, be warned that lamb's brain masala is sometimes the daily special.