Chicken Tikka Masala

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes

Ready in: 2 hours 20 minutes

Yields: 4 servings

Chicken Tikka:

1 cup yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2-1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

4 long skewers

Masala sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (I use like 1-2 slices minced very small)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2-1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 cup half and half (or cream if you want to indulge...)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

In a large bag, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. garam masala, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, 1/2-1 tsp. salt. Stir in chicken. Seal bag and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat grill for high heat. Soak wood skewers in water.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. garam masala, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. While sauce is simmering, lightly oil the grill grate (or use Pam for the grill). Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices are clear, about 5 minutes on each side. Add grilled chicken to sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve over rice with a side of naan.

Note: If you like a lot of sauce, you may want to double the masala sauce portion of the recipe.