I can’t say that I know much about Indian cuisine, but after discovering Chicken Tikka Masala I most definitely want to try more. This dish will just melt in your mouth – it’s one of those uber-satisfying dishes that make you close your eyes and say “mmmm” as you take that first bite. Really.
I first came across this dish in a weeknight skillet version in The Best Simple Recipes by America’s Test Kitchen. It was fantastic and easy enough, but then I came across this slow cooker version by Rebecca at Foodie with Family and decided to incorporate some adjustments from her version into mine. By far, the best adjustment is the use of chicken thighs which I just happened to have on hand that day. You could use chicken breasts, but they won’t be nearly as tender. Below I will share with you both my slow cooker and my skillet version, though I must say it’s been months since we’ve ventured back to the skillet with this dish.
The slow cooker version is easily a family favorite. The chicken thighs just fall apart. The mouth-watering smell of cinnamon and cumin wafting from the crock pot as it simmers all afternoon are enough to make you go mad. This is definitely one kid-tested and approved dish. And to top it off, it freezes wonderfully. One batch usually makes enough for my family to eat twice. We freeze the leftovers and just warm on the stove later on for a quick weeknight dish. Note: the rice dish is sized for 4 while the masala is sized for leftovers – you may want to resize the rice dish if you don’t anticipate leftovers.
For any of you who are more familiar with Indian cuisine, what are your favorite dishes? I’d love to add another dish to my arsenal.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted from Foodie with Family
Serves 6
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 tbsp butter
5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
For the sauce:
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced (about 3 to 4 cloves)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp garam masala
2 c diced tomatoes (or 1 14.5 oz can)
1 1/2 tsp raw sugar
1 jalapeno, washed, stem removed, and pierced several times with a knife
1/2 c heavy cream
1 tsp cornstarch
For serving:
Heaping handfuls of roughly chopped cilantro
Rice and peas, see recipe below
Na’an bread*
*We purchase ours at our local grocer, but one of these days I want to try my own hand at it. I’ve included a link to a recipe in case you’re feeling ambitious. I brush mine with a little olive oil and brown on a cast iron griddle.
Preparation:
Toss the chicken thighs in a medium bowl with the spices and yogurt, and stir until the meat is evenly-coated. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large sauté or cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown quickly, just a few minutes per side. Remove the chicken and place in the slow cooker.
In the drippings that remain in the pan, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, salt, and garam masala until the onion is translucent. Turn the heat to high, and add the diced tomatoes and raw sugar. Bring the sauce to a boil, then remove from heat and add to the slow cooker.
<Now, you could skip the prep on the stove, and just throw everything together in the crock pot. But the browning on the stove is an essential step in my opinion, as it gives an added depth of flavor, and if you have all of your ingredients at the ready it really takes no time at all.>
Add the jalapeno – don’t worry, unless you open up the jalapeno and expose the sauce directly to the seeds, it won’t impart too much spice into the sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours.
Remove the lid from the slow cooker, and use two forks to separate the chicken thighs into smaller chunks. Whisk the cornstarch into the heavy cream, and then add it to the slow cooker and stir it in gently. Cook 10-15 minutes more, and then serve atop rice garnished with a heaping handful of cilantro.
Buttered Rice & Peas
Adapted from Foodie with Family
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 tbsp butter (or more if you like – I prefer to scale back a bit)
2/3 cups frozen sweet peas
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Keep covered, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Stir in butter and frozen peas, and let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.
Next time, I’m going to try adding turmeric based on this version over at Pioneer Woman Cooks – it gives a great burst of color, and I’d imagine another element of flavor.
Skillet Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted from The Best Simple Recipes by America’s Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb), cut into 1 inch chunks
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp garam masala
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation:
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook the chicken until browned all over, about 3-5 minutes, and transfer to a plate.
Add onion to the empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garam masala, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in cream and browned chicken, along with any accumulated juices, and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice.
Enjoy!
My dear friend recently emailed an article to me that made my hair stand up on end. The “health food” cereal brand, Kashi, that many people have grown to love, including myself, has been getting some attention recently. The Cornucopia Institute recently found that Kashi, amongst other “healthy, all natural” breakfast cereals, contains high levels of GMOs (genetically modified organisms). And high levels of GMOs means pesticides.
