Chicken Tikka Masala

I can’t deny it any longer; Fall has arrived. All those recipes I eschewed during the warmer months suddenly look appealing. Today I tried a Chicken Tikka Masala from the previous issue of Cook’s Illustrated. The dish was very well received; my photo doesn’t do it justice! And it was a fairly easy dish, without a lot of prep work required.

I only wish I had saved some of the chicken from the masala sauce; I suspect it would have been yummy enough all on its own to warrant trying all by itself.

I might also try this with thighs sometime, just to see how it works with a more flavorful cut of chicken.

Recipe under

Chicken Tikka Masala, from “Cook’s Illustrated” issue eighty-eight
serves 4 to 6

Combine in a small bowl …
    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1 and 1/2 teaspoons table salt
Sprinkle both sides of …
    2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
… with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

In large bowl, whisk together …
    1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
    2 tablespoons sesame oil
    2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 medium cloves)
    1 tablespoon grated ginger
Set yogurt aside in fridge with chicken.

Thirty minutes later, in a large dutch oven heat until shimmering …
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Add…
    1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
Cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add …
    1 tablespoon garam masala
    2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 medium cloves)
    2 teaspoons grated ginger
    1 fresh serrano chile (including ribs and seeds)
    1 tablespoon tomato paste
Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add …
    28 ounces crushed tomatoes
    2 teaspoons sugar
    1/2 teaspoon table salt
Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While sauce simmers, start rice cooker with …
    1 cup basmati rice
    1 1/2 cups water

Also, set an oven rack to second position from the top (6 inches from the top) and turn the oven to high broil.

When sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, stir in …
    2/3 cup heavy cream
Return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

Arrange a wire cooling rack on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt). Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160° F on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in …
    1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Notes: The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken.