Chicken Tikka Masala

It has been a LONG time since I've posted anything.  We moved to a new home in June and prior to that we were getting our old house ready to sell and it has been c-r-a-z-y ever since with summer vacations and school starting for the kidlets.  But now I'm back and ready to organize more of my favorite recipes, new and old.  This one is new but will be getting a lot of use around this house!

So I've been a little (a lot) obsessed with Pinterest lately.  Mostly for new, fast dinner ideas.....and maybe some dessert recipes just to keep things interesting :).  This is one of my latest favorites.  It tastes very much like the tikka masala from a local Indian restaurant that I love.  It is easy-peasy to put together and much cheaper than take-out.  I was very happy with the results.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka Masala
adapted slightly from www.mattawamum.com

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breast, chopped into bite size pieces

Marinade: 
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger

Sauce:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeño, minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 1/2-2 c light whipping cream or half and half

 Optional:  1/4 c. fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Put the chicken in a dish or large ziploc bag, add all of the marinade ingredients: yoghurt, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, salt, & ground ginger.  Stir to coat the chicken.  Put in the fridge for 1-2 hours then discard the marinade. Grill or cook the chicken in a skillet until done, or no longer pink inside (about 8 minutes).  Thread chicken on skewers to grill.   

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  Stir in the cream: 1 cup for hot-medium, 2 cups for medium-mild. Then serve with white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.