Chicken Tika Masala

Chicken Tika Masala is one of our favorites dishes to eat when we go out. With a little effort you can eat this at home without having to travel to a restaurant.

Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons garam masala, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 medium serrano chile, seeded and minced (optional, depending on how spicy you like it)
1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 cup coconut milk
Fresh mint or cilantro leaves

Step 1
Combine 1 tablespoon of the garam masala, 1 teaspoon of the salt, cumin, coriander, and pepper in a 1-gallon resealable bag. Seal and shake the bag to combine. Add the chicken and shake to coat. Add the yogurt to the bag, seal and squish to coat. Refrigerate the bag in a leak proof container for 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium-high, until it shimmers and almost begins to smoke. Add the onion and remaining teaspoon of salt, and cook until the onion is browned around the edges, 11 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, ginger, and chile. Cook, stirring constantly until the onions have softened and browned completely, approximately 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of garam masala and stir several times to coat.

Step 3
Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have reduced slightly and deepened in color, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 4
Remove the chicken from the yogurt mixture, leaving as much yogurt on the meat as possible. Thread the pieces of chicken , 1/4-inch apart, onto the skewers. Grill until the yogurt has slightly charred or blackened, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the skewers. Add the chicken, cilantro, and coconut milk to the tomato mixture and stir to combine and heat through. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with mint or cilantro and serve over basmati rice.