Chicken Tikka Masala
Yield: serves 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
  • 4 tbl butter (or ghee if you have it)
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 tbl fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tbl ground coriander
  • 1 tbl ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbl paprika
  • 1 cup white wine (or ½ cup vinegar + ½ cup water)
  • 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • brown rice or naan (for serving – optional)
Instructions
  1. Brine Chicken: combine ¼ cup fine salt with ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl, add about 8 cups of water and whisk vigorously to dissolve. cut chicken into 1” cubes, add to brine liquid and let sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
  2. Prep the rest of your ingredients: dice onion and set aside. Grate ginger and mince garlic – these can be set aside together. Measure out all of the spices (can be put in the same bowl) and set aside.
  3. Remove chicken from brine and dry thoroughly. Heat 2tbl butter in a large, wide-rimmed pot and sauté chicken – work in batches if necessary, crowding the pan causes the chicken to steam rather than sear.
  4. Remove chicken once seared and set aside. All you want is some golden brown color on the chicken, it does not have to be cooked through.
  5. Heat up another few tablespoons of butter in the same pot and sauté the onions for 5-7 minutes, season with salt. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook another minute, stirring often.
  6. Stir in tomato paste and spices, let cook 1 minute then deglaze with wine and scrape up any bits at the bottom.
  7. Stir in crushed tomatoes and add chicken back to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  8. If chicken is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in yogurt.
  9. Serve over rice, with naan, or as is.
Notes
*to make this in a slow cooker, use all dark meat and add everything to the pot except the yogurt. cook on low 4-6 hours.
add the yogurt just before serving.
Recipe by Eat Some Wear Some at https://eatsomewearsome.com/chicken-tikka-masala/