Day 24: Chicken Tikka Masala

One of my goals for this dutch oven experiment was that I not change the kinds of food I cook, only the way I cook them. And so far I have mostly succeeded. The only thing that is different about my cooking now is that I am branching out with what I cook. Tonight's dish is Indian. I have never had any Indian food, so I had no idea what to expect, except that it would be spicy.
This recipe got rave reviews at My Kitchen Cafe, so I thought I would try it out. Her recipes never disappoint.

Chicken Tikka Masala

10" dutch oven

1 cup plain yogurt

1 Tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. cayenne pepper (I only used one)

2 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger (I didn't have any)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate 1 hour. Fry the chicken in your D.O. using 18-20 coals until cooked through. When chicken is cooked, remove from the D.O., drain any liquid and make the sauce.

Sauce:

1 Tbs. butter

1 clove minced garlic

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup cream

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Melt the butter in your D.O. I used about 15 coals on the bottom. Add the garlic and jalapeno and saute for about 1 minute. Add the spices. Stir in the tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. I covered the D.O. and added about 7 coals to the top. Then add the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes more. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

The Finished Product

What I learned

I am getting the hang of simmering foods in a dutch oven. I have found it works best if I reverse the normal rule for adding coals. For a 10" oven I would use 14 coals on the bottom and 7 on top. I also learned that I like Indian foods.

The Review

I have never had a mix of flavors quite like this. It was not at all what I expected. The chicken was tender and it was nicely spiced. I cut the cayenne in half and didn't add the jalapeno. It would have been too hot for my kids. The flavor was amazing, and very unusual. The fam ate it up and there aren't any leftovers. It also came together really quickly and easily. If you are like me and have never tried Indian food, this is the place to start. I will definitely make this again. Grade: B+