Elise’s Chicken Tikka Masala

Served over a bed of Aromatic Basmati Rice, this meal is truly a family favorite! Treat your guests to this wonderful menu at your next dinner party! In addition to it’s incredible sinful flavors, Indian cuisine outshines most others when it comes to healthy eating. India has the lowest rate of cancer.

We love serving this with Naan bread, a leavened oven-baked flatbread which can be found in many South Asian countries including India, because we love the flavor and we love “mopping” our plates with it!

TIP: You can also combine the first nine ingredients in a heavy-duty freezer bag and thaw out when ready to prepare.

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-in pieces

Curry Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. garam masala, found in most grocery stores. I know that Harris Teeter carries this spice
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream or evaporated skim milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Serve with:

Naan Bread

This Naan Bread assisted me in winning the 2010 Meals on Wheels Chef’s Challenge, with it I served Chicken Tikka Masala, an Infused Basmati Rice and Raita, a cucumber yogurt sauce!
2 c. King Arthur unbleached all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out your dough
1 tsp. Fleischmann’s active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. of oil
2 1/2 tbsp. plain yogurt
3/4 c lukewarm water
2 tbsp. melted butter or ghee

Dissolve the active dry yeast in lukewarm water and let it sit a few until the mixture becomes frothy. Your yeast is now ready to go to work for you!

Add sugar, salt and baking soda to the flour and mix well.

Add the oil and yogurt mix.

Add the yeast mixture and stir with your hands making a soft dough.

Knead until the dough is smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a dish towel. Keep in a warm, draft-free place for about three hours or until your dough doubles in volume.

Thirty minutes before you are ready to bake your Naan, place your pizza stone in the oven and preheat your oven to 500F. Your baking stone will give your naan bread approximately the same kind of heat as clay tandoor would.
Next turn the oven to high broil.

Knead the dough for about two to three minutes and divide the dough into six equal parts.
Take each piece of dough, one at a time, and roll into 8-inch oval shape. Dust lightly with dry flour to help with the rolling.
Before putting the Naan in oven, lightly wet your hands and take the rolled Naan, and flipp them between your palms and place onto your baking/pizza stone into the oven.

You can place about 3 Naan on the baking stone at a time. The Naan will take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook, depending upon your oven. keep an eye on them because they burn quickly under the broiler.

Once your Naan is golden brown, remove them from the oven and brush lightly with butter.
It’s best to put your stone back in the oven for a couple of minutes before baking the next batch of Naan bread. This makes about 6 large Naan.

Aromatic Basmati Rice

1 c. Basmati rice
2 T. vegetable oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. green cardamom pods, crushed or 1 t. ground cardamon
1 lime
Water

Cucumber and Tomato in Yogurt

1 medium cucumber, cubed
1 tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped (I use red sometimes, too)
1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp. cumin
Dash of pepper
½ clove garlic, minced or a little garlic powder
½ c. yogurt (strained in a coffee filter for a few minutes)
½ tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Yogurt Cake

Round out your spicy meal with this sweet Indian Yogurt Cake

1 c. plain yogurt
½ c. confectioners’ sugar (you can also use agave syrup)
3 eggs
¼ c. melted butter
2 c. unbleached flour
Zest of one lemon
1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350*.

Beat yogurt and confectioners’ sugar. Beat in remaining ingredients. Bake in a greased 9 x 13-in baking pan for about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While baking make syrup:

3 c. granulated sugar
3 c. water
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Zest of one lemon

Bring syrup to a boil and pour over cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Watch how the cake moves away from the pan. Just when you think you can’t pour any more syrup over it soaks into the cake!

Garnishes might include fresh fruit, blueberry syrup and whipped cream. Nuts are also a nice garnish.