THE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Does this humble,yet hugely popular curry need an introduction? This is like the voice of India.Whichever restaurant you go to here, this is on their menu for sure! I even like the way it sounds.This was never a curry we had at home while growing up. A good Butter Chicken would appear once in a while on the dinner table when Amma was in a mood for a change. But,never a Chicken Tikka Masala.

I like all curries with a thick smooth sauce made with onions and tomatoes. And to go with that, I'd love some Garlic Naan,with some butter slathered over it.

I made this curry a month or two back and this post was in my drafts for the longest time. I don't know why,but,everytime I saw it, I did not feel like posting it here.I am trying my best to stop procrastinating things these days because,once I do that,it never gets done later on. It's a bit difficult at times but,when I am done with it,it feels awesome! There are days when I don't feel like doing anything, but,just sit and watch some movies or catch up on some idiotic reality shows.

Back to the curry.This is really an awesome one! Once you make it,you will feel like a kitchen goddess. Trust me, you will! Your kitchen will smell amazing while it's cooking and your tastebuds will feel pampered when you taste it! None of Mr. Raghavan Iyer's recipes, that I've tried so far, have failed to impress.It's not just me. It's been impressing a lot of our friends too! I paired it with a simple Peas Pulao, that I love making with some red onions, cumin & cilantro. It would pair well with just steamed Basmati rice too! This curry is bursting with flavours and you will wonder why you didn't make it earlier!

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
You will need some bamboo skewers

For the marinade:
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons coriander seeds,ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds,ground
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 pound boneless,skinless chicken breasts,cut lengthwise into 1 inch wide strips

For the sauce:
2 tablespoon ghee
1 small red onion,coarsely chopped
1 small red bell pepper,seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Method:Soak the bamboo skewers in water for an hour.
Whisk all the ingredients given under the marinade,stir in the chicken and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate covered, for atleast 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.

When you are ready to cook the chicken,make the sauce: Heat the ghee in a small saucepan* over medium -high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, almonds and raisins, and cook, stirring frequently,until the vegetables soften and then acquire honey -brown patches,10-12 minutes.Stir in the tomatoes and scrape the bottom to deglaze it.Pour this chunky sauce into the blender and add the cream,salt,cayenne and garam masala. Puree,scraping the jar as needed,to make a thick,nutty-gritty sauce.Pour the sauce into a medium size saucepan and simmer it over low heat while you grill the chicken.

Grill or broil (on the shelf closest to the heating element) the chicken for 6-8 minutes,turning occassionally,until they juices run clear.Slide the chicken off the skewers into the sauce.Stir to coat well and serve garnished with cilantro!

*Forcing the vegetables into a small pan allows them to sweat a little,creating moisture that prevents burning.

This curry is a bomb! That's all that I have to say :) We enjoyed it to the last bite. The sauce will thicken up as it cools,so feel free to adjust the consistency with some cream,if need be.

EASY CHICKEN MASALA

I've lost count of how many times I've made this curry in the past one year. Amma had sent me a cookbook written by our family friend's aunt. It holds a lot of her precious family recipes which, in today's world, nobody has the time or the patience to make. I quite differ at that because I love to go back to my roots, to know and learn the techniques of  what my ancestors made,ate and celebrated. This book holds a special place in my heart, for that particular reason.

'Entae Tharavadu Pachakam' by Aswathy Mathan is a book with detailed recipes for Palaharams, Juices, Curries, Pickles,Rice dishes and even fusion recipes. I can go on and on about how much I love that book. If you can find a copy of it,make sure to grab one .I cannot thank Achu & Jaidev uncle enough, for giving us a copy of that brilliant cookbook! Amma made sure she bought a few more to give to my girl cousins,which I think was a smart move!

This curry is a very quick one and totally delicious. I don't think this is a typical Kerala style chicken curry. There's nothing coconut about it. It reminded me of a chicken curry our maid ' Vanilla' (yes,that was her name!) made for us in Bangalore. Her method and ingredients were totally different but,somewhere,this curry reminds me of her. Anyone,who knows how to light a stove,can make this curry with perfect results!

CHICKEN MASALA
Serves 6

Ingredients:
750 g whole chicken, cut up into small pieces
1 1/2 cups sliced onions
1/4 cup cilantro,chopped
1 large tomato,sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the wet masala:
2 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 inch piece ginger
8 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup water

Method:
In the smallest jar of your mixie, add all the ingredients for the wet masala and keep aside for 15 minutes. Then grind into a thick paste.Keep aside.
In a large pan with sides, heat the oil on medium high heat and saute the sliced onions till they are soft and almost starting to turn brown.Add the ground wet masala and cook for 3-4 minutes till they roll back and form a thick paste.Add the chicken pieces and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook till the chicken leaves its water. Open the lid, add about 1/2 cup water, half of the cilantro. Cover and cook till the chicken is done. Open the lid, add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft, another 2 minutes.Garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro and serve hot!

This curry is one our family favourites! Ian loves to eat this with rice and Moru Kachiyathu. We both eat this with Chapathi as well as rice. It's such a versatile one, you can serve it with almost anything that you serve chicken curries with.
Enjoy!