Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

Spice Mixture:

• 6 garlic cloves finely grated

• 4 teaspoons ginger root peeled and finely grated

• 4 teaspoons ground turmeric

• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Chicken:

• 1 1/2 cups whole-milk yogurt

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halved lengthwise

• 3 tablespoons ghee or butter

• 1 small onion thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 6 cardamom pods crushed or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 2 dried chiles de árbol pulverized or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

• 2 cups coconut milk or heavy cream

• 3/4 cup cilantro chopped

Utensils:

• small mixing bowl

• mixing bowl

• whisk

• zester or fine grater

• plastic wrap

• large heavy pot

• wooden spoon

• can opener

• knife

• cutting board

• rimmed baking sheet

• aluminum foil

• oven-proof wire rack

Instructions:

1. prepare ingredients

Marinate:

1. get a small mixing bowl and add 6 finely grated garlic cloves

2. add 4 tsp of finely grated ginger to the bowl

3. add 4 tsp of ground turmeric to the bowl

4. add 2 tsp of garam masala to the bowl

5. add 2 tsp of ground coriander to the bowl

6. add 2 tsp of ground cumin to the bowl and mix together until well combined and set aside; it may clump up and look pasty but that's normal

7. get a regular mixing bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of whole-milk yogurt

8. add 1 tbsp of salt to the bowl

9. add 1/2 of the spice mixture to the bowl and whisk together until well mixed

10. add 2 lbs of halved chicken breasts to the bowl and turn to coat

11. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4-6 hours

12. cover and chill remaining spice mixture as well

Cooking:

1. heat a large heavy pot over medium heat and add 3 tbsp of ghee until melted and hot

2. add 1 thinly sliced onion to the pot

3. add 1/4 cup of tomato paste to the pot

4. add 6 crushed cardamom pods to the pot

5. add 2 dried chiles de árbol to the pot and stir together and cook for 5 minutes or until tomato paste ha darkened and onion is soft

6. add the remaining half of the spice mixture to the pot and cook stirring for 4 minutes or until the bottom of the pot begins to brown

7. add a 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes to to the pot, crushing them with your hands as you add them

8. bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened, stirring often and scraping browned bits from the bottom

9. add 2 cups of coconut milk to the pot

10. add 3/4 cup of chopped cilantro to the pot and stir together

11. simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes or until sauce has thickened

12. meanwhile, preheat broiler in the oven and place oven rack in the upper third of the oven

13. line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place an oven-safe wire rack on top of the baking sheet

14. arrange the marinated chicken onto the wire rack in a single layer

15. place in the oven and broil for about 10 minutes or until the chicken started to blacken in spots; the chicken will not be cooked through

16. remove chicken from oven and cut into bite sized pieces

17. add the chunks of chicken to the sauce and simmer stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through

When you are ready for serving, serve chicken over preferred rice or roasted vegetables if you desire.