This morning, my mom casually mentioned that she got me two packs of chicken tikka masala mix since she knew that chicken tikka masala was one of my favorite Indian dishes.
My sister-in-law, upon hearing this, lit up. Like me, she likes trying out different cuisines.
So, almost impulsively, I decided that I'd cook this meal for our Sunday lunch. I wanted to introduce it to the rest of my family members who don't usually like spicy (or, as my dad would call it, "exotic" food).
Within an hour after this conversation had taken place, I was off to the grocery to buy my ingredients: chicken breast, pita bread (our neighborhood grocery didn't have naan or roti), and yoghurt. I also wanted to make a side dish, so I got ingredients for a cucumber yoghurt salad as well (or tzatziki, if you will).
This was the mix I used, c/o Asian Home Gourmet. My mom bought the packs from Santi's Delicatessen.
Step 1: I marinated the chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces) in the chicken tikka masala mix and yoghurt, then let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Step 2: While the chicken was set aside, I proceeded to work on this side dish: peeled and cut cucumber mixed with yoghurt and parsley. Then I placed it in the refrigerator.
Step 3: After sautéing one onion (chopped coarsely), I added the chicken. Since I felt the consistency wasn't as thick as I wanted it to be, I added some flour diluted in water. Cooked this for about 15-20 minutes.
Step 4: I lightly toasted several pieces of pita (which were wrapped in foil).
Tada! Not bad for a meal I decided to cook on a whim.
I literally cooked right after I got home from the grocery (which was why I was still looked "dressed", haha!).
Verdict? The dish was cleaned out by the family! Even my brothers, who don't like curry or "smelly food", as they say, gave it a shot.
Verdict? The dish was cleaned out by the family! Even my brothers, who don't like curry or "smelly food", as they say, gave it a shot.
Next time — when I have hours to cook and I have all the spices (which can be hard to find at times), that is — I'll try making chicken tikka masala from scratch. I want to get that reddish, creamy consistency that I enjoy from Indian restaurants and eateries.
Glad I got to tick off another item from my must-cook list!
awesome!!! I love indian food tooooo! :) - frannywanny
ReplyDeleteHey, Fran! I love it, too! But my family doesn't get to eat it as often as I do, which was why I thought that it would be great to introduce this dish to them. Do you have suggestions for an easy recipe I can cook next? :)
Deletehmmmm how about a nice claypot rice? :)
DeleteI've never tried nor tasted that, I think. Will look this up now. Thanks! :)
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