Chicken Tikka Masala

I have already posted a Tikka Masala recipe. It is a good recipe, and I have made it a few times. But I really wanted Tikka Masala and I didn't have enough time to make it in the crock pot so I found another recipe on Chew Out Loud. The title was Chicken Tikka Masala - This is IT! And I will tell you what, this is IT! I like it better than the crock pot version because I think it has more distinct flavors that are just amazing! And it really didn't take too much more time than throwing it all in the crock pot. You can click on the link above for the recipe or keep on reading. At any rate, I would strongly suggest you make this recipe!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts - dried well, pounded evenly flat
1 cup plain (unsweetened) whole milk yogurt (I used low fat plain and it turned out just fine)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 Tablespoon ground garlic

Sauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
dashes of kosher salt to taste

Directions

For the chicken:
Combine salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of dry, evenly-pounded chicken with spice mixture, pressing in so mixture sticks. Place chicken in single layer and set aside. Whisk yogurt, oil, ginger, and garlic together in large bowl and set aside.

For the Sauce (can be made a day or two before, without the chicken):
Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and cook about 3 minutes. Add the rest of sauce ingredients, except for the cream and cilantro, and bring to boil.  Reduce to medium low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lastly, stir in cream and return to simmer a few minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce is keeping warm, place oven rack 6 inches from heat broiler. Dip chicken well into yogurt mixture, coating with thick layer of yogurt. Arrange each piece on wire rack lined with aluminum foil.  Broil chicken about 5-9 minutes, flip over halfway, and broil another 5-9 minutes. The exterior will be lightly browned in spots.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes. Cut into bite size chunks and stir into warm sauce when ready to eat. Do not simmer chicken in the sauce. If sauce needs warming, warm it up first and then toss the chicken in when ready to serve. Lastly, season with kosher salt to taste, toss in fresh cilantro, and serve immediately over Basmati rice.

Enjoy!

Waikiki Meatballs

I have really been trying to be more frugal with purchasing food and using up the leftovers. I noticed we had some rice left over from our Sunday meal in the fridge and decided to make Waikiki Meatballs. I looked up a recipe and tried it out. I absolutely loved it! Tastes similar to Hawaiian Haystacks. It's a rather simple recipe and easy to follow. I added about a teaspoon of garlic as well and only had 1 pound of ground beef, but it still turned out great! I kept all the other measurements the same.  I did, however, use the leftover club crackers we had on the shelf in place of the saltine crackers and used Apple Cider Vinegar instead of White Vinegar. (That's just what we had on hand and I loved it) Take a look at the original link for other suggestions of what people did as alternatives or added ingredients.


Ingredients:

1 1/2         Pounds ground beef                                       (I only used 1 lb.)
2/3 C        Crushed saltine cracker crumbs                      (Can be substituted for several things)
1/3 C        Minced onion
1               Egg
1/4 C        Milk
1 1/2 tsp.  Ground ginger
1/2 tsp.     Salt
1 Tblsp     Olive oil
2 Tblsp     Cornstarch
1/2 C        Packed Brown Sugar
1 (15 oz) can Pineapple chunks - drained, with juice reserved
1/3 C        White Vinegar                                                (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 Tblsp     Soy Sauce
1/3 C        Chopped green bell pepper


Directions:

1.   In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, ginger and salt. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into meatballs.

2.   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place meatballs in skillet and cook until evenly brown, and meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.

3.   In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Mix until smooth, then pour into the skillet with meatballs. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and pineapple chunks. Heat through.

4. Serve over rice. ENJOY!



Thanks to allrecipes.com for the recipe!  Click HERE to see the original recipe.