Chicken Tikka Masala

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and then served in a tomato cream sauce. Serve with rice or warm pita bread









INGREDIENTS

Marinade:
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 long skewers

Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Salt to taste (I didn't add any because of the salt in the marinade and the salt in the tomatoe sauce)
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (Garnish)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat a grill for high heat. ( I used the Forman Grill)

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

PITA BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pastry flour
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water.

2. Combine the all-purpose flour, pastry flour and salt in a bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture and applesauce and knead. Dough shouldn't be sticky, but it shouldn't be dry either. If too sticky add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour till you get the right consistency. If too dry, add 1 tablespoons of water at a time till you get the right consistency.

3. Roll out into a rope and cut into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and roll out till it's anywhere from a 6 to 8 inch circle

4. There are two ways to cook pita bread. The flavor is a bit different with both.

To Bake Pita:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) and put a pita on a wire cake rack. Toss in the rack and cook for 3 minutes or until the bread stops puffing up. When you take it out, smash down the pita (Careful, its hot!) and quickly put it in a plastic freezer bag.

To Fry Pita: (I use this method. I spritz the pan with olive oil between cooking each pita. Has a great chared flavor.)
Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat. When almost smoking, place a pita in the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, till brown spots begin to appear. It should look something like a tortilla when you're done. Put in a plastic bag once it has cooled a bit.

RAITA

INGREDIENTS
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sour cream
3 cucumbers, seeded and chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 cloves crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a salad bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sour cream, cumin, paprika and garlic.
Add cucumbers and tomatoes; toss and chill before serving.