Chicken Tikka Masala

#cuisines/indian #meals/dinner #meals/packed-lunch #dishes/main #dietary/gluten-free #scalable #active-time/60mins-or-more #prep-ahead
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/the-best-chicken-tikka-masala-7264944
Servings: 5-6

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

• 1 1/4 cup (285g) whole milk yogurt
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

Sauce

• 4 tbsp ghee
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 spicy green chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) heavy cream
• chopped cilantro leaves, for serving
• basmati rice, for serving
• roti, for serving

Instructions

Marinade

• Whisk together the yogurt, ginger, salt, chili powder, garam masala, pepper, turmeric and garlic in a large bowl until combined. Toss the chicken in the spiced yogurt marinade until evenly coated. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24. (Overnight works best.)

Main dish

• Melt the ghee in a large Dutch oven or wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and chiles, season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until very fragrant and the ginger starts to turn golden and sticks to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fenugreek leaves, garam masala, chili powder and paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up into pieces with a spoon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half and the tomatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Let the hot sauce cool for about 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender filling no more than halfway. (If your blender is small, you may need to work in batches.) Remove the center cap from the lid and place it on the blender. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream and puree until creamy. Pour into a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Season with salt.
• Meanwhile, position a rack directly under the broiler and preheat to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside.
• Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the rack. Broil until the chicken starts to brown in spots, 3 to 6 minutes per side (it will not be cooked through). Remove from the broiler. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Top the chicken and sauce with cilantro. Serve with Basmati rice and/or Roti.
  Notes:
• Kashmiri red chili powder and fenugreek are important, as well as a good garam masala.
• Number of green chiles can be adjusted to spice preference.

Journal

• 2023-01-08: made for meal prep lunches. Seared the chicken in the pot, took them off, then started cooking the onions and made the rest as usual. Takes a bit more time, but I think it improves flavor because the chicken stuff is in the pot when you start. Came out very well!