Chicken Tikka Masala

Loose lips sink ships, I was told aboard the USS Gerald R Ford at its commissioning on Saturday. So awesome to see up close and in person!

It is likely also true that large hips sink ships, and so what better cookbook to have in your fat-fighting arsenal than the Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook, put out by the American Diabetes Association, authored by May Abraham Fridel. Chicken Tikka Masala is one of my favorite Indian food dishes, I always order it when I go to Indian restaurants. The book says it isn’t traditional Indian food, was made popular in Great Britain actually, but, hey, that’s my roots y’all. But this is a great cookbook for spicy foods that won’t raise your blood sugar precipitously.

 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from the Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook by May Abraham Fridel

Marinade

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 TB smoked paprika

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cardamom

½ tsp white pepper

1 TB ginger garlic paste (1:1 fresh garlic and ginger in lemon juice)

Juice of one lemon

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp olive oil

Tikka Masala

2 TB olive oil

1 cup diced onions

1 TB ginger-garlic paste

1 TB smoked paprika

¼ tsp black pepper

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 TB heavy cream

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp honey

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp garam masala

Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes, place in large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients (except the oil) and add to chicken. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 2 hours. Heat 1 tsp oil in skillet on medium-high and add chicken, sear for two minutes on each side. Set aside.

Then for the tikka masala, heat the 2 tb oil in a skillet on medium-high heat and add onions, saute until soft and caramelly. Then add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Reduce head to medium, add paprika and black pepper and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, mix heavy cream and yogurt with honey, salt and garam masala. Add to tomatoes. Turn heat back up to bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Add chicken to pan and cook for 3 minutes or until chicken cooked. Serve on BROWN rice, or better yet, not on rice– on quinoa if you are diabetic.

 

This post is sponsored by the ADA. Thank you!