I am regularly told by friends that they are impressed that I cook myself dinner every night. And every time someone brings it up, I am still surprised. If you don’t make yourself dinner, how do you eat?
I mean, there are nights when I make toast and pile it high with whatever I can rustle up, then I call it a tartine and pretend it is extra fancy. Or I roast some veg and put it on top of leftover rice or quinoa and call it a “whole grain bowl”. What I am really saying is that not every night is a big production – it just feels better to say I made something like that then when I cave and pull out a box of gluten-free macaroni and cheese.
But some days, I do go all out. I make a dish with multiple parts that I want seconds (or even thirds) of. Like Chicken Tikka Masala – the non-Indian Indian dish that everyone loves (my last roommate Helen informed me it was a Scottish invention).
This creamy, spicy tomato dish is always a hit when I make it – even if it isn’t the most resolution-friendly dinner. (You can always balance it with a big salad or some extra kale in your smoothie). This isn’t an old family recipe or something that tastes like childhood. It is simply a good dish that despite its multiple parts is actually pretty easy to put together – easy enough to make after a full day of work.
- For the chicken
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger*
- 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced*
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks
- For the sauce
- Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 cloves garlic*
- 2-inch thumb ginger peeled and minced*
- 2 serrano peppers, minced and seeds removed (if you like your food spicy, you can leave the seeds in)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (or 2 14-ounce cans)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 to 2 cups water
- Oil, for grilling
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Cooked basmati rice
- You are going to whisk together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper into a smooth sauce. Add the chicken to the mix and seal in a large ziploc or plastic container. Leave in the fridge overnight or at least 30 minutes before starting the sauce.
- (If you need to make rice, I start it in a rice cooker before I make the sauce.)
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add the garlic, ginger and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges.
- Next, add the tomato paste to the skillet. Cook it until it starts to darken in color (about 3 minutes).
- Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute to draw out the flavors from the spices.
- Once they get aromatic (about a minute), add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup of water.
- Bring the sauce to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Cook until the sauce has thickened a bit, about 20 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, heat a grill pan or cast iron griddle. Once it is hot, lightly brush it with oil.
- Place your chicken pieces on the grill – but make sure you shake of some of the excess marinade (too much gets a little messy)
- Cook the chicken until it starts to char -about 2 minutes on each side. The chicken will be purposefully undercooked because it finishes cooking in the sauce.
- The sauce is currently a bit chunky, and we want a smooth, dreamy sauce. If you are using a deep enough skillet and have an immersion blender, feel free to use it. If not, pour your sauce into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
- Pour your sauce back into the skillet and bring it back to a boil.
- Add the chicken, bring the sauce down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cream.
- Serve over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.