Recipe Time: Chicken Tikka Masala

Tikka masala, an Indian dish that’s quite popular in Great Britain, is a wintertime favorite in our house. In fact, I’m making it tonight — a cold and snowy January day.

This dish is hearty, flavorful and warming. And it comes together quickly in the slow cooker (early in the day) or Instant Pot (in the evening).

Tikka masala is typically served with rice. To make it low-carb or Paleo, try cauliflower rice.

Adapted from thekitchn.com and allrecipes.com 

Ingredients

For the masala

• 15 oz. crushed tomatoes

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped (or purchase jarred garlic)

• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger (finger-sized), grated; or 1 tsp. powdered ginger

• 2 T tomato paste

• 2 tsp. garam masala (Indian spice blend)

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1/2 tsp. paprika, cayenne or Kashmiri chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

• Sea or kosher salt, to taste (start with 1 tsp.)

• Black pepper, to taste (start with 1/2 tsp.)

• 2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs

• 1 C Basmati rice or quinoa (or make cauliflower rice) 

• ½ C heavy cream or coconut milk

For the garnishes

• English cucumber (or regular if not available), halved and thinly sliced

• ¼ C fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

• 1 T fresh lemon juice

• S & P to taste

Instructions

In a slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, spices, salt and pepper. Mix around.

Place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7-8 hrs. or high 3-4 hrs. (Slow cooker times and temps vary.)

30 min. before serving, start your rice or quinoa, if using, and prepare according to package directions. Or prepare cauliflower rice.

In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ tsp. each sea salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Just before serving, stir the cream/coconut milk in with the chicken. Serve with rice/quinoa/cauliflower rice and cucumber relish.

Instant Pot alternative:

In your Instant Pot, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, spices, salt and pepper. Stir well. Add the chicken and cover all pieces in the sauce. Pressure cook on high for 8 min.

When the cook time is up, let the pressure release naturally (or carefully release it manually). Using the natural release, the chicken gets a bit more tender. 

Use a thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked (165° F). If it needs more time, rearrange the pieces before cooking again for 2 min. 

While the chicken cooks…

In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ tsp. each of sea salt and pepper.

Just before serving, stir the cream/coconut milk in with the chicken. Serve with rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice and cucumber relish.