Homemade Tikka Masala (Chicken Curry)

J and I absolutely love Indian food, but always venture out in order to get our fix. I started getting a new culinary magazine this month (Cuisine at Home) that has fabulous recipes... One of them being Tikka Masala!

This dish requires a little love because of the cook time, but it goes in a slow cooker, so once you do your 30 minutes it cooks itself. The chicken literally falls apart with no need for knives or any sort of major effort... FABULOUS! 

Ingredients for the Marinade: 

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon ginger (it asks for fresh... I don't do all that work and just get the jarred stuff!) 
• 1/2 teaspoon garam marsala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• Pinch of cayenne pepper 
• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

Ingredients for the sauce: 

• 1 Tablespoon canola oil (it's the healthiest of oils!) 
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (15 ounces) 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Sprinkle of salt
• Dash of black pepper 
• Chopped fresh cilantro (to garnish) 

Directions: 

1. To make the marinade combine the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon each of garlic and ginger, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and garam masala, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in a bowl. 
2. Using a knife, pierce the chicken in several places and place in a large bowl. 
3. Pour the marinade over the chicken; stir to coat. 
4. Cover the chicken and refrigerate at least 1 hour, if not overnight. (I let it marinate for 3 hours and it was perfect!) 
5. Preheat the broiler with the rack 6-8 inches from the heat. 
6. Remove the chicken from the bowl and place on a broiler pan. 
7. Broil for 8 minutes. 
8. Discard marinade. 
9. Remove chicken from the broiler and transfer to the slow cooker. 
10. For the sauce, heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. 
11. Add diced onion and cook until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. 
12. Add 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 1/2 teaspoon each garlic and ginger, and minced serrano chile. 
13. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
14. Stir in the tomato paste and cook about 1 minute. 
15. Deglaze the pan with the crushed tomatoes, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. 
16. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. 
17. Be sure to coat the chicken. 
18. Cover slow cooker and cook chicken on low-setting heat until tender, about 3 hours. 
19. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. 
20. Whisk cream into sauce seasoning with salt and black pepper. 
21. Pour sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh cilantro. 
22. Enjoy!

I really love naan. It's an Indian pita bread sort of thing. I pick up a little package of it at the grocery store and throw it in the oven for a couple minutes on low heat to warm it. It also is fun to use to clean up any extra sauce that may be hanging around!