Recipe of the Month: Indian Chicken in Tikka Masala Sauce

My kids are doing a collaborative school report on India this month, culminating in a picnic this afternoon. We made our own yogurt over the weekend, and we'll whip it up into mango lassis just before we leave. Trader Joe's naan is among my favorites, and we're bringing both garlic and curry-seasoned naan.

Finally, we're serving Indian Chicken in Tikka Masala Sauce. The chicken is simmering in the slow cooker as we speak, and I'll be blending up the sauce as soon as I'm done posting this. The recipe is very loosely based on a recipe I found in Cook's Illustrated. This version is much faster -- the original took about two hours to prepare -- and it's much lower in calories and fat, too.

It requires just a small investment of your time to prepare the ingredients for the slow cooker, and takes less than a half-hour to put together. I serve it with orzo because my husband's blood sugars respond better to pasta than rice, but you can serve it over rice, cauliflower rice, or dish it up as-is and serve naan on the side.


Indian Chicken in Tikka Masala Sauce

Indian Chicken Ingredients:


2 cups water
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon bottled minced ginger
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Tikka Masala Sauce Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons bottled minced ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt

Directions:

Combine water, garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in slow cooker. Add chicken and cook on HIGH for 6 – 8 hours, or on LOW for 8 – 10 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper, tomato paste, garam masala, and sugar in blender. Blend until onion is almost pureed, but still visible. Put sauce in a large skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add yogurt, and stir until combined.

To serve, place chicken on hot cooked rice, cauliflower rice, orzo, or potatoes, and cover with sauce. Or, serve chicken drizzled with sauce and offer naan on the side.