Looks like my new years resolution should have been to spend more time baking and cooking for my blog!
Sorry I haven’t posted for so long! January and February are turning out to be just as (if not more) busy than the holidays! Yikes.
The recipe I have for you today is one of our favorite lazy day indulgences. It is rich and creamy with a big kick of heat that is great for cold days!
Tikka Masala can be made with many different spices and meats, but chicken is our favorite. You can add more or less of any of the spices depending on what you like!
I hope you have avoided or recovered from the terrible flu that seems to have attacked everyone in the nation! Keep those new years resolutions going strong!
Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients:
2.5 – 3 Pounds Chicken Tenderloins or breasts
1 Large Onion, Diced
5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, Minced
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 -2 Cans (23 ounces) Tomato Sauce
1 1/4 Cups Plain Yogurt (I like greek)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons Garam Masala
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cumin
3 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper (less if you want it less spicy. 1 Mild, 2 Medium 3 tsp Spicy)
3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon (more or less to taste)
1/2 Tablespoon Paprika
2 Teaspoons Salt (to taste)
3/4 Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper
2 Bay Leaves
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch (2-3 depending on thickness of sauce)
Chopped cilantro for garnish
2 Cups Basmati or Jasmine Rice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients up to bay leave together in a bowl, mixing well to completely coat chicken tenders.
Place all ingredients into a slow cooker and add bay leaves. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4.
20-30 minutes before serving, remove lid from slow cooker and add heavy cream and corn starch. Combine both together in a bowl and slowly stir into chicken and sauce. Place lid back on slow cooker and let cook about 20 more minutes.
I sugest after you add heavy cream to cook your rice. We like brown basmati for this dish, and I find it at Trader Joes. Serve hot over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro. I also serve Naan bread, warmed with this and it is delicious to soak up all the creamy sauce!
Mikey's In My Kitchen 
I love tikka masala. May have to try this one 🙂
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Looks amazing! Will definitely give it a bash soon
Thanks for the inspiration for a Sunday night family supper. It was great. Made my own Naan too which was fun.
So glad I could inspire dinner! I can’t wait to try homemade Naan! Yum! Here is a link to my favorite Tikka Masala recipe. I made it once but didn’t take pictures, but it’s our favorite!
http://cant-live-without.com/2012/02/14/chicken-tikka-masala/
I am trying this soon, looks delicious!
I’m sure it will turn out great! Thanks 🙂
I know I am so late to the party, but I just came across this recipe and it looks fabulous! A few questions – Can you leave out the heavy cream? The hubs has a thing with dairy, the Greek yogurt is normally ok. Also, can you find the Garam Masala anywhere, or do you need to go to a specialty store? Thanks!
You can leave out the heavy cream. It just gives it a a richer, creamy flavor. You could definitely use coconut milk or any non-dairy creamer or milk if you wanted, or just leave it out. I found the Garam Masala at a local grocery store. They had it in these big glass jars and they put it into a small bag for me. I would bet that Whole Foods, Trader Joes, World Market, a specialty or Indian grocer would carry Garam Masala. Try calling a couple places to double check. Hope this helps!
Coconut milk sounds like it would be fabulous! I will check out our grocery store for the Garam Masala, we typically have a wide variety of spices there. Thanks for the quick response, I am going to make this tomorrow!
I have ground ginger will that work?
Sorry I just am getting back to you! Yes! Ground ginger will work! Depending on how much you like the flavor of ginger, you can add more or less…but I would start with 1/2-1 Teaspoon of ground ginger!
I made this for dinner tonight. I didn’t use as much chicken and I’m really regretting it, 😉 I also subbed whole fat coconut milk and arrowroot starch for the half and half and corn starch. My kids (6, 4, 22M) RAVED about it an my 6YO is taking leftovers in his lunch to school! They even asked that it be added to “the list” lol! I served it over rice for them, and I ate mine over roasted cauliflower. SO, so good! Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that the kids loved it! Over roasted cauliflower? Genius!
Well…to be honest, they had theirs over rice. But I had mine on top of the cauliflower and didn’t miss it a bit! The only downside was that my 22 month old caught a stomach bug and this was the last meal he ate before he got sick. But I think it was good enough to be able to erase that from my memory. 😉
I made this last night and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I added a little bit of lime juice and butter, but other than that followed everything! Thanks!