Chicken Tikka Masala

For a semester during college, I lived in South India. I fell in love with the culture, people and of course the food. Tikka Masala is a dish that it made by marinating chicken in spices and yogurt and then baking the chicken in a clay oven. This version uses coconut milk instead of yogurts, but has all of the same spices that the traditional dish uses. You can increase the level of heat by adding more cayenne pepper in the marinade and using more jalapenos in the sauce. My tandoor oven didn't fit in the overhead, so I just use the broiler.

What You’ll Need:

For the Marinade:

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs/breasts cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 cup coconut milk (from the can

• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp. ground cumin

• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more because some like it hot)

• 2 tsp. ground black pepper

• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

For the Sauce:

• 2 tsp. ground cumin

• 3 tsp. paprika

• 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

• 1/2 tsp. dried coriander

• 1/4 tsp. ginger

• 2 Tbsp. ghee/coconut oil/lard

• 1 small onion diced

• 3 garlic cloves diced

• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles or jalapenos

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

• Skillet

• Large Ziploc bag

• Mixing bowls

What I Did:

1. Place the marinade ingredients in the large plastic bag and add the chicken pieces. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag, turning the bag a few times to coat chicken. Place on a plate in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 1-2 hours.

2. Chop your onions and garlic.

3. Place your oven on the broil setting. Remove the chicken from the bag and place in a single layer on a tinfoil covered baking pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes each side.

4. To make the sauce, combine the first 5 sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.

5. Add the ghee to a large skillet and place over medium heat. Add the spice mixture to the pan and sauté the spices in the oil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the jalapenos and sauté for another 2 minutes.

6. Next, add the tomato sauce and coconut milk and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

7. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes.

8. Top with cilantro. Eat alone, with cauliflower rice, or your favorite veggie side.

9. Give yourself the good job cheer! You just made Indian Food!