Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is a dish with vague origins. You'd think with such a name that it would have come straight from the Middle East, but more likely it came about as a variation of curry sometime in the last half-century. That 50 years was apparently enough time to firmly place it at the top of British restaurant picks. It's unofficially called 'Britain's National Dish'. Any legit Brits want to substantiate this for me?

I first made this for dinner a couple of years ago. It immediately became one of my Top 5 Recipes for my family dinners! I love the taste, the fresh, natural ingredients, and the simplicity of preparation! It might look like a long list of ingredients, but if you utilize a 'mise en place', then it goes together really fast.

Lately I've been using crushed tomatoes canned from my garden last summer. Oh man. I'm going to bottle a zillion pints next year!! I can't believe how fabulously yummy it makes dishes!!

I vary the chicken I use according to necessity. If I need to use chicken breasts from the freezer, I make sure I brine them for an hour or so before using. Most often I use chicken tenders from Costco. The ginormous breasts-from-a-box from the local grocery stores are driving me crazy!! No way can chicken naturally be so HUGE!! Hormones BAD!! Sadly, I have several pounds left in my freezer I'm trying to use up. Sigh.

So back to the tenders: These don't need to brine, and they cook much faster. In fact, sometimes I cheat and season them frozen, and they end up being half-frozen by the time I broil. Seems to work just fine in a pinch!

Remember--DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED by the length of the recipe! It's simple stuff!

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

(adapted from Americas Test Kitchen)

serves 4-6

2 pounds bonless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (vary to your preference of spicyness)

1 teaspoon table salt (if you brine, use half)

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons minced or pressed garlic

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Masala Sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups onion--diced small

2 teaspoons garlic--minced or pressed

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 jalapeno--ribs and seeds removed (you can use more, but I would try it at this level first. Once I used a serrano and hoo--eee!! I like spice, but I also like to be able to taste my food!)

2 tablespoons tomato paste (freeze unused portion of can in a ziploc--smoosh it flat so you can just break off peices to use in other dishes!)

1 tablespoon garam masala (you can make your own, but McCormicks blend is pretty dang good!)

28-32 ounces crushed tomatoes (make sure they are plain, not Italian style)

2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup chopped cilantro (omit if you don't like)

1 1/2 cups Basmati rice--cooked to package directions

Combine the cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a small prep bowl. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate 30-6- minutes. In medium bowl mix: yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.

In a large cast iron pan or dutch oven pan, heat oil for sauce. When shimmering, add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring until onions soften and start to brown. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste, and garam masala. Cook, stirring about 3 minutes. Don't let the garlic burn! Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce, and simmer, loosely covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream, stir, and return to simmer. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, put oven rack in middle-top position, (6 inches from heating element), and heat broiler. Place your chicken either on a cooking rack fitted in a baking sheet, or on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. With a silicon pastry brush, or spoon, brush both sides of the chicken with a good coating of the yogurt mixture. Discard leftover yogurt mixture. Broil the chicken until instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees. This takes 10-18 minutes if you are using breasts, less time if you are using tenders. Flip half way through.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces and stir into warm masala sauce. Stir in cilantro and adjust seasonings.

Serve over Basmati rice.