Chicken Tikka Masala

Hey there! It seems like forever since I've posted a recipe for everybody, but things have been so hectic around here with school and home life. I even broke out the slow cooker to make some food while I was away for classes. What did I learn from that experience? Chicken Tikka Masala does NOT taste good in the slow cooker. At least not mine. The chicken was dry and everything was over reduced and tasted a bit on the "over-caramelized" side. Not quite burned, but still quite bitter and generally unpleasant to eat. That was a frozen pizza kinda day..

In hindsight, I wasn't really saving any time, since this recipe can be made on a stovetop in about a half hour to 45 minutes and put a good sheen of sweat on my husband's head. If you don't ruin it in a slow cooker, this recipe is packed full of flavour and tastes wonderful on a bed of fluffy rice. You can adjust the heat level to your own taste. Find the recipe here to print and share.

What you'll need

3-4 chicken breasts
1 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 garlic cloves (more if you like it garlicky like I do)
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp crushed cumin
1 tsp paprika
1.5 tsk garam masala spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 can tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes (appx 250 ml or 8 oz)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
150 ml plain yoghurt
235 ml heavy cream 
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cilantro
Rice on the side (I used jasmine)

What to do

1. Dry chicken well and season with salt and pepper.
2. Grill or brown chicken on both sides. Cut into chunks and set aside. If it's pink, that's fine since it will finish cooking in the sauce later.
3. Dice onion, garlic, ginger and chili finely or grind into a paste using a food processor or stick blender with chopper attachment. If you want a nice spicy dish, leave veins and seeds in the chili.
4. Melt butter in a pan and sweat the paste for appx 2 minutes. 
5. Add spices and fry another minute.
6. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add cream, yoghurt and chicken.
8. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened slightly and chicken is cooked through.
9. Add fresh cilantro at the end and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Adjust heat accordingly with cayenne pepper and garam masala.
10. Serve over rice with a sprinkle of cilantro over the top.

And there you have it. A tasty, warming chicken tikka masala that can be whipped up in around a half hour! 

If you like this recipe, feel free to leave a like, share and comment below!