Chicken Tikka Masala

I blame Gordon Ramsey and Instant Netflix for our constant, nagging craving for Indian food.  Well, that and the fact that it's absolutely delicious.  We've been trying to eat out a lot less so I knew if I wanted to eat it I would have to make it.  I started out with something pretty simple and something I've had before so I knew what the finished product was supposed to taste like.  I also decided it wasn't right to have Chicken Tikka without delicious Naan to go with it, so, I found a recipe for that.  The Naan was a little bit more difficult to do because I'm not good with dough.  Any kind of dough.  So, it wasn't as pretty as it should be, but it tasted just as good.

Chicken Tikka Masala (from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients: (I rarely ever measure when I'm using spices unless I'm baking, so, this is really just a guideline to follow for the spices you use.  I tripled the spices because Indian food has such bold flavors.)

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 long skewers

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet to medium heat.  Add cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne to skillet and allow to heat until fragrant.
2. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.  If using wooden skewers, allow them to soak in water while chicken is marinating.
3. Remove chicken from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
4. Preheat a grill for high heat.
5. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.  If you don't have a grill, use the oven on the broil setting.
6. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Mint Raita (from epicurious.com)

(you may want to make this night before)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Drain yogurt in a paper-towel-lined sieve set over a bowl, chilled, 3 hours.
   
2. Pulse all ingredients in a blender until mint is finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, at least 3 hours.
   

For the Naan I will just put the link I used for the recipe because there is an instructional video to help with the forming of the Naan.  Manjulas Kitchen - Naan