make super awesome indian food, tonight.

dear Belinda,

i'm sending you this chicken tikka masala recipe because:
a) it's awesome, and you'll love it. just like you loved that pizza recipe i sent you,
b) you really enjoy the show 'come dine with me', so this is kind of like that between the two of us, but kind of not at all,
c) my recipe with instructions look like this

and therefore am doing myself a favor by typing this out for you and me and all of humanity.
d) you're one of my besties Belinda and while we now live far from each other we can still enjoy friendship with me telling you what to do via this blog.

this is kind of a two in one recipe, seeing as chicken tikka masala (apparently also known as 'butter chicken', i've heard) needs tandoori chicken to start with. so i'll tell you all about both.

first things first: it's important that you invest in some spices, spices that will in fact change your life.
Also, from my experience i would suggest you start with a clean kitchen and all of your bowls and such, ready for action. don't sigh, just trust me.

okay moving on, you're grocery list is:

for the tandoori chicken:

*4-6 small(ish) chicken bone in thighs.
  (i've done with recipe with boneless chicken breasts and it's just not the same, so trust me on the bone in thighs)
*half a cup of plain yogurt
(i tend to use more cause yogurt is awesome)
*lemon juice, approx 1-2 lemons
*2 teaspoons  peeled and minced ginger root
*2 teaspoons  minced garlic
*1 teaspoon coriander powder
*1 teaspoon cumin powder
*1 teaspoon garam masala
(i love saying garam masala, and smelling garam masala, it's the best)
*1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( so good for you)
*1 teaspoon salt.

for the chicken tikka masala:

*tandoori chicken (instructions coming below)
*half a serrano chilly
(i tend to leave this out cause i'm not a chillie fan)
*1-2 teaspoons of peeled and minced ginger root
*14.5 oz/411g can of diced tomatoes
(you could even get them pureed i think, that if you don't have a mixer)
*1/4 cup butter
(never ever ever margarine)
* 1 taBlesppon cummin seeds
(i can't find the seeds so i've just been using the powder)
*1 teaspoon paprika
*less than one cup of yogurt
(recipe says whipping cream, but yogurt works wonderful and is healthier)
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon garam masala

got it?

good, now let's talk about tandoori chicken, pretty good by itself as part of a meal. side of basmati, naan and veggies.

step one: rinse chicken thighs and pat dry. now skin them. sounds a little gross but is surprisingly easy.
step two: make little slits with a sharp knife all along the bone. or really just stab them here and there.
step three: add all ingredients together, mix it up, add chicken thighs and cover all over.

step four: cover and let marinate in the fridge for 2-24 hours, the longer the better in my opinion.
also great for a busy working girl as yourself to prep the night before and come home to awesome indian chicken the next day. right?

 step five:  bake in a pre-heeted oven (190C/ 375F) for about 40 min.

ta-da. how awesome does your house smell round about now?

assuming that you're going all the way here...

let's get going with the tikka masala:

step one: de-bone your just out of the oven tandoori chicken
(and yes the tasting may begin)
step two: in a food processor (or smoothie maker) process the chillies, ginger and tomatoes.
i add a handful of cherry tomatoes here because it's the best idea ever.
step three: in a large sauce pan, melt about half of your butter. add the chicken and sautee for about 4 min or until edges are brown. then transfer the chicken to a bowl.

 step four: add the remaining butter and stir off the chicken bits.
step five: add your cumin powder/seeds and paprika, stir for one minute.

step six: add the tomato mix and boil gently uncovered for ten minutes. stir often
do not leave unattended, learn from my mistakes!

step seven: add the chicken, yogurt or cream, salt and simmer for another 10 minutes. stirring often.

step eight: turn heat off, stir in the garam masala and let stand for an additional 10 minutes.
(if you can last that long)

step nine: have Mike open a bottle of wine, set the table, heat the Naan bread or make the basmati rice. give yourself a pat on the back for making such a delicious meal, humbly tell Mike it was nothing really as he freaks out over how fantastic your cooking is.

also...
prepare for:

and then this the next day, or weekend, or when you feel like it

  lastly:
we both don't really enjoy very spicy food and with these measurements it's just right. for spicy lovers i suggest having cayenne pepper on the table or adding that seranno chillie.
i've also added some chopped up green peppers that work really well with the flavors.

so, there's that. so instead of 'come dine with ME' it's more like here go dine over there by yourself but think of me.

enjoy and whatsapp me if you need my assistance, for everybody else go ahead and enjoy this too.