Chicken Tikka Masala

I love Indian food. I could eat it once a week and be completely happy. You would think because I love it so much, that I would have learned to make it so I could eat it more often. NOPE! I had no clue where I would even start to learn how to make Indian food. I always heard it was difficult, so I never even looked at recipes. Then I went to India. It was awesome. The food was amazing. I picked up a Indian cookbook before I left. Still thinking that it was going to be too hard, the cookbook has sat on a shelf for 2 years and I have not attempted any of the recipes. Total fail on my part, I know.

Then my roommates and I had Indian food on my birthday and we talked about how much we all loved it and should try making it. So... this last Wednesday I finally attempted to make my first Indian dish. I thought I would start with the most popular. It turned out pretty spicy (as Indian food normally is) but the flavor was awesome and I loved it. I will make it again for sure but more mild next time. Megan was supposed to make the Naan, but ended up being too busy and went and bought it. I'm thinking I should try making that next. Anyway, now that I have made it and it was successful... I don't have to be  intimidated to make this dish or other Indian dishes in the future.  If you love Indian food and want to give it a try, here is the recipe that I used.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 1/2 Lbs chicken breast, chopped into bite size pieces
(Marinade)
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp red pepper (put less to make more mild)
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
(sauce)
1/4 cup cilantro
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika (leave out to make more mild)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 c heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Put the chicken in a dish or large ziploc bag, and add all of the marinade ingredients: yoghurt, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, salt, & ground ginger.
Put in the fridge for 1-2 hours then discard the marinade.
Grill or cook the chicken in a high sided skillet until done, or no longer pink inside (about 8 minutes)
For the sauce
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook for 1 minute.
Add coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt. Stir to combine
Stir in tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes
Last step! Stir in the cream: 1 cup for hot-medium, 2 cups for medium-mild. 
Then serve with white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro