In the Kitch: Chicken Tikka Masala!!!

Hey gals!  It's been a little while since my last recipe post, so I thought I'd share this chicken tikka masala recipe that I stumbled upon about a week ago.  I LOVE Indian food....or I guess I should say that I love chicken tikka masala as it's always what I order when me and hubs go to our favorite Indian restaurant.  I'm sure this is a scaled-down, non-authentic way to make this dish, but hey, the end result to my non-Indian taste buds are pretty much the same.  I am so excited that I can make one of my favorite dishes AT HOME.  So I guess I can now try something NEW the next time I go Planet Bombay or Cafe Bombay (both really good Indian restaurants here in ATL), because I'm sure to OD off of this now that I can make it.  haha Anyway, this was my first time attempting an Indian dish because the thought of it always intimidated me, but this recipe is pretty straight forward, AND........IT'S MADE IN THE CROCKPOT.  Doesn't get much simpler than that.  So I suggest that you try it--if you are a fan of Indian food or if you just want to try something new.  Oh and I put mine over a "basmati rice medley" that I'd gotten from Trader Joe's, and also served it with a side of garlic naan that I'd gotten from my local Publix.  

 

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala                

Ingredients
                               

• FOR THE CHICKEN:
• 9 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Jalapeno Pepper, Stem Removed, Pepper Pierced Several Times With A Sharp Knife
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion, Peeled And Diced
• 6 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Garam Masala
• 1 piece Fresh Ginger, About 2-3 Inches, Peeled And Grated
• 4 cups Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Raw Sugar (can Substitute White Granulated If Necessary)
• 2 teaspoons Cornstarch Or Cleargel
• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream
• TO SERVE:
• Hot Buttered Rice And Peas
• Chopped Fresh Cilantro

                               

Preparation Instructions

                               
Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1- 1 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle the coriander, cumin and salt over the chicken, then stir in the yogurt until all the pieces are evenly coated. Cover lightly and let sit for 10 minutes before proceeding.

Melt 1 tablespoon the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Raise the heat to medium high and quickly brown about 1/4 of the chicken. Transfer browned chicken to the slow cooker as it is finished, using 1 tablespoon of butter per batch, and repeat until the chicken is all in the slow-cooker. Throw the pierced jalapeno in on top of the chicken.

Prepare the sauce. Return the pan to the heat and melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and kosher salt, then stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to lightly brown around the edges.

Stir in the garam masala and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) before raising the heat to high and adding the crushed tomatoes and raw sugar. Stir well, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil.

Pour over the chicken in the slow-cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender.

Use a fork or whisk to stir the cornstarch or cleargel into the heavy cream until smooth. Pour into the slow-cooker and stir gently until the colour is even. Replace the lid and let cook for 10 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.

Serve over hot rice and peas, topped with a generous amount of chopped cilantro.
                           
                       
Tips & Mods:


I'd only bought one pack of chicken thighs, that ended up being 5 thighs and that's what I used.
The recipe calls for 1 TB of raw sugar--I used 2.  I felt like 1 TB wouldn't be enough to give that slight sweetness that I know chicken tikka masala to have.  I was right.


I'd started on this dinner late and didn't have the 5 hours cooking time the recipe called for.  So I cooked it on HIGH for 2.5 hours instead.  It turned out just fine.


I'd also forgotten to buy the jalapeno pepper, so instead I topped the chicken with about a tablespoon of hot pepper flakes.  It gave the dish a nice little "kick"


As you can see in the pics--I forgot to top the dish with a little bit of chopped cilantro, even though I actually bought some for this dish. haha  Anyway, it's unnecessary anyway.  I've never seen it topped with cilantro at restaurant.  I'm sure it would have looked nice in pics tho!

Oh, and I have seen garam masala in my regular grocery store in the "international" section.  If yours doesn't have it, you should probably look for it at your local farmers markets or health food stores.  I actually bought mine from Amazon.  (see link below)





Enjoy!!

Recipe courtesy of Tasty Kitchen