Chicken Tikka Masala and Aloo Gobi

Sue and I, and our sister Orra, recently have started a catering business. 

One of the things we wanted to do was offer different food experiences than what is available in Lillooet. One of the things Lillooet does not have is any kind of Indian restaurants. 

I have had really simple recipes for chicken tikka masala and aloo gobi in my recipe box for a long time and thought this was a perfect time to bring them out. We used these recipes to cater a Christmas dinner party for 25 people and it worked wonderfully. As written below the recipes will make enough for 5 - 6 people. 

Serve the chicken over some jasmine or basmati rice and add a side of naan bread and you have a lovely Indian inspired meal that the whole family will love. 

P.S. - If you want more heat then simply add another jalapeno or a pinch more cayenne pepper. If you want less, then simply add less! I found the chicken had just a hint of heat and the aloo gobi had more. Not too much for me (and I am a wimp), but almost. 

I will start with the recipe for the chicken tikka masala.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

Marinade

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup Greek yogurt (plain)

2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into chunks

Sauce

1 Tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1/4 tsp chili powder

2 Tbsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground tumeric

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained

2 tsp sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. 

Marinate chicken - in a large bowl, mix together salt, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, Greek yogurt, oil, ginger, and garlic. Stir in the chicken pieces until well coated. Marinate, refrigerated, for at least a couple of hours, up to overnight.

For the sauce - Heat oil in a large pot or frying pan over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic, ginger, spices, tomato paste and cook and stir another 4 - 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes. Lastly, stir in the cream and return to a simmer. Cover and keep warm while you cook the chicken.

Cover a cookie sheet with tinfoil (for easy clean up). Spread out the chicken in the marinade on the cookie sheet.

Cook at 350 until the chicken pieces are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. (You may have to drain some liquid off the cookie sheet midway through. Do it carefully as it is very hot!)

When chicken is cooked, stir it into the sauce. Serve hot.

And now... on to the aloo gobi.

Aloo Gobi

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, finely diced

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne powder

3 cups cubed potato

3 cups (1 medium head) cauliflower florets

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions

In a large frying pan or pot, heat oil and mustard and cumin seeds over medium heat until seeds begin to pop. Add in ginger, garlic, and diced jalapeno. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add in spices and cook for 30 seconds.

Add in cubed potatoes. Cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes.

Add in the cauliflower florets. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until potatoes and cauliflower are fork tender. Stir the veggies approx every 5 minutes to make sure they do not burn. 

Lastly, stir in the salt and the peas. Heat through.

Serve hot.

You can have both dishes cooking at the same time very easily if your prep work (ie: chopping veggies) is already done.

You may need to add in a spoonful or two of water to the aloo gobi if you find it is not cooking evenly. Simply add in the water and cover quickly and let steam for a minute. 

Add a little rice (which can also be cooking on the stove top at the same time!) and a piece of naan bread and your Indian inspired meal is ready to go!