 and being of Italian heritage, I was once very hesitant to push my taste buds outside their comfortable European borders. But, I was completely smitten with the food of Paula Wolfert (traditional Moroccan cooking) and Ana Sortun (modern Turkish cuisine). And I started to cook with different spices and slowly developed a ‘taste-memory’ for them. Once you can remember what new spices taste like, separately and combined, you can begin to incorporate them into your repertoire with confidence.
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SPICED CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan
March 16, 2018
Chicken Masala is an Indian dish that’s fairly quick and easy to prepare. If you like Indian spices then this is a good dish to practice the art of combining aromatic and assertive spices. Having trained with a French chef (Madeleine Kamman) and being of Italian heritage, I was once very hesitant to push my taste buds outside their comfortable European borders. But, I was completely smitten with the food of Paula Wolfert (traditional Moroccan cooking) and Ana Sortun (modern Turkish cuisine). And I started to cook with different spices and slowly developed a ‘taste-memory’ for them. Once you can remember what new spices taste like, separately and combined, you can begin to incorporate them into your repertoire with confidence.
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
- Yields: 5
Ingredients
1 tablespoon curry powder (I like Maras-brand curry powder)
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground white pepper (or black), fresh ground, plus more as needed
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 ½ cup plain yogurt
2 pounds, boneless and skinless chicken thighs
2 ounces vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced Spanish onion (choose an approximately ¾ pound whole onion)
1 stalk celery, ¼ cup, finely diced
2 ounces fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped or grated
½ medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
3 each- 28-ounce cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to your taste
Optional: fresh cilantro garnish
Optional: cooked basmati rice for serving
Directions
To serve/finish:
Cut the chicken into large pieces and add to the sauce. Let heat through completely. (The chicken is already cooked.) Add any juices from the roasting pan to the tomato sauce and stir to combine.
Serve with or over cooked rice if desired. And I like cooked green beans almandine on the side.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
