Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Or Tenders
• ½ teaspoons Cumin
• ½ teaspoons Ground Coriander
• ⅛ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper--use More If You Like
• 1 teaspoon Table Salt--use Less If You Brine Your Chicken
• 1 cup Plain, Whole Milk Yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, Minced Or Pressed
• 1 Tablespoon Grated Fresh Ginger
• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1-¼ cup Onion, Chopped
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, Minced Or Pressed
• 2 teaspoons Grated Fresh Ginger
• ½ whole Jalapeno--ribs And Seeds Removed
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala--make Your Own Or McCormicks Has A Good, Widely Available Version
• 28 ounces, weight Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Table Salt
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream
• ⅓ cups Cilantro (fresh, Chopped)
• 1-½ cup Basmati Rice, Cooked According To Package Directions

Preparation Instructions

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 30-60 minutes.

In a 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 heat, 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 the 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 chicken until and instant-read thermometer reads 160ºF. This takes 10-18 minutes if you are using breasts, less time if you are using tenders. Flip halfway through.

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