Chicken Tikka Masala

By Paul Briand

This is said to be the most popular restaurant dish in the United Kingdom.

And this is a simple recipe, courtesy of the McCormick spice people, who packaged together all the spices needed for this dish as part of their Recipe Inspirations.

“Masala” means mixture of spices and that’s exactly what this is -- though I might use a bit of hyperbole and call it an explosion of spices.

The garam masala is a pungent mixture of spices, its origin in India.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon mixed garlic

1 teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat;

2. Add chicken, onion and lemon juice; cook and stir 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink;

3. Add all of the spices (except red pepper) and cook and stir 1 minute;

4. Stir in tomatoes until well mixed;

5. Stir cream into cornstarch and salt until smooth. Gradually stir mixture into skillet;

6. Stir in red pepper to taste, if desired;

7. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low; stirring frequently, simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened;

8. Serve with cooked rice or naan bread, if desired.

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