One of my biggest challenges with cooking is making chicken. I sometimes just don't trust when it's cooked all the way through. My mom used to say "you know that it's finished when it's no longer pink," but that's just not good enough for me. Sometimes it's still a little rubbery with a white, cooked, center. With that being said, I am notorious for overcooking chicken, but not this time! My chicken tikka masala came out so tender and juicy. I was concerned because multiple recipes I read call for you to cook the chicken in the masala sauce and that just didn't sound correct to me but it turned out delicious.
Also, fun fact...I've never actually had chicken tikka masala so if you test this recipe and decide it's nothing like the real thing shoot me a message!
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into large cubes
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt divided
Vegetable Oil to grease the pan
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
3 cloves garlic grated
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can tomato paste **I read a recipe wrong and interpreted tomato sauce as tomato paste. However, I diluted it with about 1 cup water and 1 cup milk (soy)
3 tablespoon fresh cilantro optional, chopped
Start by preparing your chicken cubes.
Then mix yogurt, garam masala, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt, mix well.
Add chicken, mix and refrigerate while you prepare the sauce.
Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat, then add vegetable oil. Add onions, cook until soft; 5 minutes. Add the grated ginger, garlic, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to mix all of the spices together and coat the onions.
Stir in the tomato paste, let simmer before adding in the other liquids. Stir often.
Let sauce start to bubble before adding in the chicken/yogurt mixture. This way you know your sauce is hot enough to cook your chicken and keep it juicy.
Simmer on low heat uncovered until sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked and tender. This took me about 15 minutes.
I served the Chicken Tikka Masala over Jasmine Rice, garnished with cilantro, and a piece of pita.
So this recipe is not quite #Vegish, but ingredients can easily be substituted for vegan options.
-Replace the chicken with tofu, broccoli, cauliflower, or potatoes. Season at the beginning of the preparation stage to marinate the veggies and tofu before the cooking step.
-Use coconut milk to substitute for the yogurt. You might have to add a thickening agent like activated yeast or flour.
