Chicken Tikka Masala

Tikka Marsala, it turns out, is actually relatively low carb. The RICE that I feel is required to eat with it, is not.

Its high in fat for sure - I mean 1.5 c of heavy cream? That fat adds up. On Keto or low carb, as long as your cholesterol is fine, the heavy cream will not mean a damn thing. That's one of the hardest things for me to wrap my head around eating low carb. Fat is ok. Sugar is not.

I heart Tikka Marsala. It's a staple for me when I eat in Indian restaurants...which isn't often. Making it is easy...or you can take the long route and make it correctly. This recipe is in between.

Don't let the ingredient list freak you out. Most of it are spices...

Chicken Tikka Masala
Recipe from Cafedelites.com

Photo from Cafedelites.com

Serves 6

For the chicken marinade:
28 oz boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
1 c plain yogurt
1 1/2 T minced garlic
1 T ginger
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Kashmiri chili (or 1/2 teaspoon ground red chili powder)
1 teaspoon of salt

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 small onions (or 1 large onion) finely diced
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic finely grated
1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
14 oz tomato puree (tomato sauce/Passata)
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili (optional for color and flavor)
1 teaspoon ground red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups of heavy or thickened cream (use evaporated milk for lower calories)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup water if needed
4 tablespoons Fresh cilantro or coriander to garnish

In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 10 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)

Melt the butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.

Pour in the tomato puree, chili powders and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red color.

Stir the cream and sugar through the sauce. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, if needed.

Garnish with cilantro (coriander) and serve with fresh, hot basmati rice.