Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan

We moved out of San Francisco less than a year ago and one of the things we miss the most about living in the city is late night food delivery.  It was so convenient to be able to get Thai, Chinese, or Indian food delivered to your door!

We really missed getting our Indian food fix.  I LOVE chicken tikka masala and naan.  There are some good Indian restaurants in Marin but the thought of bringing our babies made me shudder so I decided I better learn how to make me some Indian food PRONTO!

I found these recipes and they used basic ingredients you can find in your pantry.  I substituted tomatoes from the garden in lieu of the canned tomatoes and also picked the cilantro from our herb box.

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle (1/4 inch thick), then pull it in teardrop shape. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared. (you can also save some of the balls in the refrigerator to make the next day and cook dough in pan on stove).

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Chicken Tikka Masala (4 Servings)

Ingredients

Marinade for Chicken (make day before)
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4-6 long skewers

Sauce
2 tablespoon butter
5 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion finally chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp garam masala 
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream (or more to taste)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 1teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat a grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side. (you can also cook chicken under broiler).

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with garam masala, paprika, cumin, coriander, and 1 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.