I’ve not cooked much Indian style food, but had a bunch of chicken in the fridge and was in the mood for a little something different.  I was pleasantly surprised with this dish, both with the taste as well as required effort.  I also learned that this tikka masala dish is actually more British than Indian, due to the rich tomato sauce it’s served in.  There were a few moments that stressed me out a bit, especially when adding the cream and stirring like a crazy fool to ensure the sauce didn’t curdle.  It all worked out well though and made for an amazing, albeit spicy, dinner.  I shouldn’t have been too surprised about the spicy part though, as this recipe did come from the Sriracha Cookbook.

• 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs (I used breast)

Marinade:

• 2 cups plain yogurt (whole milk or low-fat, not nonfat)
• 1/4 cup Sriracha
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice or cinnamon (I used allspice)
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup Sriracha
• 2 cups heavy cream

To Serve:

• salt and freshly ground pepper
• steamed basmati rice
• chopped fresh cilantro or fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish (I used cilantro)

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes

Place in a large resealable plastic bag and set aside.

To make marinade, in a medium bowl, mix together the Sriracha, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, allspice, black pepper, and salt.

Add yogurt and mix well.

Pour marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and turn the bag several times to evenly coat each piece.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, although overnight is best.   I marinated my chicken for close to six hours and was very pleased with the flavor.

Preheat the boiler or the grill to medium high heat.  Soak 16 wooden skewers in warm water for about 30 minutes.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Drain the excess marinade from the chicken and discard.  Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers.  Set each finished skewer on the prepared baking sheet.

When all of the skewers are prepared, place the baking sheet under the broiler or place them on the grill.  Cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes.

Confession:  I was able to have the chicken cooked on the grill, as the hubby stepped in and cooked the chicken to perfection!  Instead of using wooden skewers I used these awesome non-stick metal skewers that were in my Christmas stocking last year.  I love them…they are a must for any kabob lover!

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the garlic and cook until the aromatic, about 1 minutes.

Add the cumin, coriander, garam masala, and paprika, and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomato sauce and Sriracha.  Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Slowly add the cream, stirring to avoid curdling.

Confession #2:  this is the part of the dish that I was most worried about.  I added the cream about 1/4 of a cup at a time, and made sure to stir, stir, stir before adding any more.

Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove the cooked chicken from the skewers and add to the sauce.  Simmer for an additional 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Confession #3:  this dish had so much amazing flavor and spice that I didn’t even consider adding salt or pepper to it!

Serve over basmati rice.  Garnish with cilantro and serve.