Chicken Tikka Masala

My freezer meals have come in very handy lately as I just had a baby two weeks ago.  I am very fortunate to have wonderful family and friends that have helped us with meals since the baby was born, but the freezer meals came in very handy during the last months of my pregnancy when I had no energy to do anything let alone cooking.  I haven't actually cooked in months, and I've been totally coasting on my freezer meals.  This has been great for me but not so great for my blog.  I do have a few new things in the freezer that I still need to post about.  I hope to get to them soon and then start generating more freezer meals.

I have recently discovered another advantage to freezer meals besides being able to eat a delicious dinner when I don't have energy to cook.  I have three young children now and like many young children, they are not always the best about trying new things or eating their dinner.  However, young children become more open to trying foods with repeated exposure, and it turns out that having multiple batches of the same thing in my freezer means repeated exposure.  After the same meal has made enough appearances my kids will generally try it.  After more appearances and trying the food, sometimes they even like it.  Chicken Tikka Masala is the perfect example.  My daughter was initially reluctant to try it, but after several exposures she has declared it her favorite meal.  It's one of my favorites too.

Adapted from: Aarti Sequeira
Difficulty: Moderate
Category: Simple Side
Recipe Column: W

Serves 6

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp fresh minced ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Sauce

2 tsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking the chicken

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp fresh minced ginger

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 serrano peppers or 1 jalepeno, seeds and stem removed and minced

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp paprika

8 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped in a food processor or diced by hand

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 to 2 cups water

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients except the chicken.  Add the chicken and coat it thoroughly in the marinade.  Let the chicken marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, shake the excess marinade off the chicken and add it to the pan.  Brown the chicken on both sides and remove from the pan.  Don't worry if the chicken is not fully cooked.  It will finish cooking in the sauce.
3. Add the 2 tsp butter and 3 tbsp butter to the pan.  Once the butter has melted, add the ginger, garlic and peppers.  Cook until the vegetables are lightly brown.  Add the tomato paste.  Cook for about 3 minutes until the paste has darkened,  Add the garam masala and the paprika and cook for a minute longer.
4. Add the tomatoes, salt and 1 cup of water.  Bring the mixture to a boil then turn down to a simmer.  Simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes or until thickened.  You may need to add more water depending on how much moisture the tomatoes give off.
5. Puree the sauce in a blender and transfer back to the pan or with an immersion blender directly in the pan.
6. Bring the sauce back to a simmer.  Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the sauce.  Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

To freeze:

Properly cool the dish, divide into the desired number of containers or bags and freeze.

To serve:

rice, naan or both

1/2 cup cream

vegetable

Thaw the chicken tikka masala in the refrigerator overnight.  Bring to a simmer in a sauce pan then add the cream and bring to a simmer again.  You may need to adjust the salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with rice, naan or both.  We generally have it with broccoli or spinach on the side.

If you want to go all out with your Indian dining at home, make an easy mango lassi to go with it.