Chicken Tikka Masala

i prepared to make this a day before to marinate to chicken.  it turned out to be very tasty.  the preparation was a little intense as for as the mixing of the spices.  i added in 1 tsp of fenugreek powder to the spice mixture.  the ghee is easy to make.  just make sure the butter goes though the second boiling.  use cheesecloth, not a strainer, to get out the milk solids.  the milk solids are a dark brown color and remain on the bottom of the pot.

How to make garam masala:

Coriander seeds	4 tbsp
Cumin seeds	2 tbsp
Black peppercorns	1 tbsp
Green or black cardamom	4 pods
Cloves	1 tsp
Cinnamon stick	1
Crushed bay leaves	1
Star anise	2

Break large pieces in to smaller ones.  you don’t have to but if you chose to roast the spices, roast for 5 min.

Grind in a coffee grinder.  Store in a zip lock bag.

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How to make ghee:

1 lb butter (recipe calls for 3 Tbsp so use 3 Tbsp to make the ghee)

Boil the butter.  Turn down to a medium flame.  The first foam will burn off.  Wait for the second foam and let it burn off.  Now you have clarified butter.  To get rid of the milk solids at the bottom, pour the butter out carefully into cheese cloth.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 4 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 6 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish (I used parsley)
• Steamed basmati rice (for serving)

Preparation

• Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture.
• Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.
• Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes.
• Add cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 30-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes.
• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, add to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is 
• cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Serve with rice and cilantro (parsley sprigs). 

Indian Basmati Rice

1 1/2 cups basmati rice 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick 2 pods green cardamom 2 whole cloves 1 tablespoon cumin seed 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 2 1/2 cups water 1 small onion, thinly sliced Place rice into a bowl with enough water to cover. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes. Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seed. Cook and stir for about a minute, then add the onion to the pot. Saute the onion until a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the water from the rice, and stir into the pot. Cook and stir the rice for a few minutes, until lightly toasted. Add salt and water to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/04/chicken-tikka-masala#ixzz2SL97whbT
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?recipeID=72349&origin=detail&servings=6&metric=false