Chicken Tikka Masala

This Pioneer Woman recipe is a little more complicated than most of my recipes, but after hearing glowing reports from a friend  I couldn't wait to give it a try.  I started to get nervous while I made it, since I had never even used half of the spices before (thank goodness they were 50%-off that week), but man oh man, was I glad I stuck with it.  It was full of flavor, had a lovely presentation, came together easier than I expected, and pleased the munchkins too.   This is definitely going on the "I'm trying to impress someone" recipe list!  Yum, yum!

Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients: 

CHICKEN:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt, to taste
ground coriander, to taste
cumin, to taste
1/2 cup plain yogurt

SAUCE:
2 Tbs. butter
1 large yellow onion (I used red, which tasted fine, but gave the sauce an off-color)
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbs. salt
1 piece (2-inches) fresh ginger, grated or minced finely
3 Tbs. garam masala (a spice that can be easily found in most well-stocked grocery stores or here's a recipe for a homemade version)
1 cans (28-oz.) crushed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes, but would have preferred the smoother texture of crushed)
1 Tbs. sugar
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 serrano pepper, diced (optional)

RICE:
2 cups basmati rice (no substitutions)
4 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. ground turmeric
4 cups water
1 cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS:  To a rice cooker, add 2 cups basmati rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, and 4 cups of water.  Cover, turn your rice cooker on and walk away.  Or if you're like me and don't have a rice cooker, saute the dry rice in the butter until lightly browned,

 
then add the rest of the ingredients (except the frozen peas), cover and cook as directed. 

Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with some kosher salt.  Next sprinkle them on both sides with some coriander and cumin.

Then coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt.

Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes each side.  Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken.  (I just grilled my chicken outside instead of in the oven).  It should have slightly blackened edges.

Remove from oven (or grill).  Chop up into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.

Next dice one large onion.  In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat.  Toss in the onions and saute until they are slightly browned.  As the onions cook, mince your garlic.  Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 x 2-inch piece of fresh ginger.  Add the garlic and ginger to the onions.  Then add about 1 tablespoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of Garam Masala spice and if desired, the chopped serrano pepper.

Next add the can of crushed or diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon sugar, while you continue to stir.  Let the mixture simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes. 

After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer, stir in the 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream and chopped chicken breasts.  Stir well and add in the chopped cilantro.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes. 

When rice is done, stir in the frozen peas.  The heat will cook them just perfectly.  It tastes great and adds a nice dash of color. 

Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala sauce over top.  Serve warm with Naan bread.  Enjoy! 

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Coconut Curry Chicken

My husband loves curry and begs me to use it more often, but  I've never found a recipe I loved enough to make a regular part of our menu.  This dish here changes things though.  The flavor was great, but not overly spicy.  The chicken and potatoes were perfectly tender.  And even the kids (except for one we like to call Miss Picky) gobbled  it up and went for seconds.  As much as I liked it the first night, I thought it was even better as leftovers when the flavors had combined more. 

Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients:

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbs. oil

4 medium potatoes, cubed (I used 2 potatoes and 2 sweet potatoes)

1-lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 Tbs. chili powder

2 Tbs. curry powder

1 Tbs. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped ( I just used a can of drained diced tomatoes) 

1 can (13.5-oz) coconut milk

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

hot cooked rice

Directions:  Place diced potatoes in salted boiling water and boil for 10 minutes (you want them to be not quite done).  Remove from heat, drain,  and set aside.  Heat oil on medium-high heat in large frying pan and saute onion and garlic for one minute.  Then add the chicken and continue cooking for 3 minutes.  Add all the spices and the drained potatoes and stir together well.  Let cook until chicken and potatoes are tender (another 3-5 minutes).  Add tomatoes and coconut milk and heat until sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Stir in cilantro.  Serve over hot cooked rice.  Serves 8-10.  Makes for delicious leftovers too!  Enjoy!

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Indian Style Steak Kebabs with cilantro sauce

Just typing up this recipe today made me long for the laid back days of summer again. I miss cooking on the grill while my kids happily jump on the trampoline with carefree abandon. Now our evenings are filled with sports practices, homework, practicing music, and back-to-school nights. I feel like I barely have time to breathe, yet alone take the time to slowly cook up some juicy meat on the grill.

This recipe is one I found in a church cookbook and got excited about the different combination of flavors. My husband went absolutely crazy over this easy grilled meal and is still asking me when I'm going to make it again. Surprisingly even my kids were willing to overlook the green tinge the cilantro sauce gave to everything and eagerly gobbled it up. This one is definitely going into the keeper files.

The ingredients:

Click here for printable recipe.

1 bunch fresh cilantro (about 2 cups cilantro leaves)
1 small onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small can green chilies
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1-1/4 tsp. kosher salt
4 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1-1/2 lbs. rib-eye steak, cut into 24 one-inch chunks
1 medium red onion, peeled
1 cup mango chutney (optional)
4 pieces naan bread (optional)
wooden skewers for grilling

Place the cilantro, small onion, garlic, green chilies, ginger, and salt with 3 tablespoons of the oil into a food processor. Process until a paste is formed. Transfer to a large bowl. Put 2 tablespoons of the paste in a small bowl and stir in the lime juice to make the cilantro sauce. Cover and set aside. Stir the curry powder into the rest of the paste.

Add the steak and coat well. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cut the red onion into 6 wedges and separate each wedge into 2 layers. Thread the beef and onion chunks onto eight 9-inch skewers. Brush a grill pan with the remaining oil ( I just cooked them right on my grill). Preheat grill pan, then grill the kebabs for 8-10 minutes, turning the skewers every 2 minutes. Serve with the cilantro sauce, chutney, and naan, if desired.

Enjoy!

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