Kathleen Rear

I made this last night from my cookbook “The Family Table” Now available for iPad!

Chicken Tikka Masala
I knew the moment I took a bite of this classic dish at Vama in London, I’d have to find a way to recreate it.

For the chicken and marinade:
2 ½ lbs.    skinless, boneless Chicken Thighs
1 cup         plain Yogurt
2 cloves     Garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon    finely grated Ginger
1 ½ teaspoons    ground Cumin
1 ½ teaspoons    ground Coriander
¼ teaspoon     ground Cardamom
¼ teaspoon     Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Pepper

In a large non-reactive (glass or ceramic) dish, combine everything above.
Add the chicken to the marinade, and coat well. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight if you can, or for at least an hour.

After the chicken is finished marinating, remove it and scrape off as much of the yogurt mixture as possible. Preheat your outdoor grill or oven broiler. Grill the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. No need to cook the chicken through, it will finish cooking in the sauce. Set aside and start the sauce.

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons     Olive Oil
1 large                  Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves               Garlic  (minced)
1 tablespoon       grated fresh Ginger
2 ½ tablespoons     Garam Masala
1 tablespoon     ground Cumin
1 tablespoon     ground Coriander
1 tablespoon     ground Cardamom
2  teaspoons       Cayenne Pepper
¼ cup                  Almond Flour
(adjust the spices to your liking, we like aromatic but not blow your head off spicy)
1 tablespoon     Butter
5 cups                canned, crushed Tomatoes
1 tablespoon   Sugar
1 ½ cup           Heavy Cream

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger until soft. Add the spices and almond flour and butter, cook for about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, sugar and chicken. Cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in the cream and continue to simmer until thick.

Serve with naan bread and basmati rice.

P.S. Does any one have a proper Naan recipe?
P.P.S. I had quite a bit of sauce left so, I froze it for next week!