Cookumentary: UK Silken Chicken Tikka Masala
I am going to make Indian dish that originated in the UK from the cookbook Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail. If you have access to a reasonably equipped spice rack and some plain yogurt, you should be able to make this with little difficulty. If you're a vegetarian, you can substitute seitan, firm tofu, or anything else that you like for the chicken - it just has to be able to absorb the marinade well.

This cookumentary is extremely image intensive! Also please keep in mind that this recipe is from a cookbook, so I am not responsible for its authenticity or lack thereof. That said...



First, we have to obtain the chicken or tofu and marinate it. Do this early in the day because it's going to need 6-8 hours for the flavor to fully absorb. If you're super pressed for time and have to marinate it right before prepping, it will still taste fine, so don't let that stop you. The flavor just might not be as intense as it could have been.

What you'll need to marinate the chicken / tofu (paraphrased):

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or the equivalent of extra firm tofu / seitan, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon bright red paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (in spice aisle)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (in spice aisle)
3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil (use veg oil if you're really in a pinch)

As you can see, I've got the ingredients all together...




Now it's time to grate the ginger, mince the garlic, and chop up the chicken (not shown).




The chicken is chopped and is in its container ready to be marinated. I add the salt and lemon juice, cover and shake it up, and let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes to let the flavors sink in.




Mix everything together and shake it all up. That's easy enough. Let it sit in the fridge for 6-8 hours.




Ok, so now the chicken cubes are marinating. Time passes magically, and it is time to make dinner. Here is the recipe for the actual dish (paraphrased).


Silken Chicken Tikka Masala (UK style)

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons peanut, corn, or olive oil
1 onion, sliced into thin half rings
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced finely
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
4 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 medium tomatoes, very finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
2-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves


First, do the veggie prep and measure out the spices. Ignore the cumin in this picture... it snuck in there because I used it in the marinade for the chicken cubes. These are the ingredients we need. This is a very fragrant setup we've got here.




Here is the actual chopping prep work: the onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, and cilantro leaves.




The spices are measured out and ready to go. Please pardon the flash.




Heat the oil in a large frying pan.




Add the onions.




Saute the onions until they start to turn brown (about 5 or 6 minutes on medium high heat).




Now it's time to add the garlic and ginger. Saute that for a minute or two.




Add all the spices except for the salt and the garam masala and sautee until they are fully incorporated into the onion mixture. It's going to look and feel a little dry, but that's ok.




Now add the yogurt one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly, until all 4 tablespoons are mixed in.




The mixture will probably look something like this when all the yogurt is in there.




Now add the chopped tomatoes and sautee, mashing them up with the spatula as much as you can. They will start to fall apart (this is good). This process should take 3 to 4 minutes.




The tomatoes are fully incorporated into the mixture.




Now it's time to add the chicken (or vegetable) broth. Bring to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally, for 15 or 20 minutes. The broth will start to cook down and the sauce will become thicker. If the sauce is too runny, simply simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes.




When the sauce cooks down to the right consistency, add the salt, garam masala, and chopped cilantro leaves.




Remember the chicken cubes we marinated? It's time to take them out of the fridge and cook them. Remove them from the container a few at a time, allowing the extra marinade to drip back into the container. Regardless, a lot of marinade will stick to them, resulting in this.




Cook them until they are brown and cooked through but still tender and juicy.




Add them to the other pan.




Fold the chicken pieces in... this smells amazing.




Serve with rice or flat bread. We chose brown basmati rice for our meal tonight.




It was spicy, full of flavor, and just SO GOOD. Our kitchen smells like heaven now.




Thank you for reading!