I ♥ Tikka Masala
I discovered Indian food during the summer of 2004. I was studying abroad in Bath, England, through a program in the English Department at The Ohio State University. In between lessons on Shakespeare, Julian Barnes, and Tom Stoppard, our group would go on cultural excursions to famous literary locations (the Globe Theatre in London), important ruins (Chepstow Castle and Tintern Abbey in Wales), and British restaurants. The first week we went to the Saracen's Head, a traditional British pub which was built in 1713. I had fish and chips and beer--classic pub fare in England. But it was the Indian restaurant we visited the second week that changed my life forever.
I'd never had Indian food before. It always struck me as weird-looking and weird-smelling. But Indian food is a huge part of British culture, and I wanted to experience it. The ties between Britain and India stretch back to at least 1600 with the creation of the East India Company, which facilitated the trade of cotton, silk, tea, opium, and spices, among other things. As the Company gained power and influence in the region over the next two centuries, Britain began to rule India through military power and colonial imperialism. The East India Company dissolved after a rebellion in 1857, after which Britain assumed administrative control of India until its independence in 1947. As you can imagine, the close ties between the two countries resulted in British influences in India and Indian influences in Britain, which we can clearly see in the popularity of Indian food in England.
Tikka masala is the most popular dish in British restaurants. In fact, some consider it to be the national dish. It's a curry made with chunks of chicken (tikka) in a spicy sauce (masala). The chicken is marinated in a combination of yogurt and spices, and the sauce is tomato-based with an array of spices and other ingredients. There really is no standard recipe for tikka masala, but what you would eat in England can be considered an improvised British version of a dish that probably originated in India during the twentieth century. But there's really no consensus. As with many recipes, there are several chefs and cooks who claim to have "invented" tikka masala.
After my first taste of Indian food in Bath, I ate Indian food every single day for the rest of the summer. Seriously. Indian remains one of my favorite cuisines, and it always reminds me of my time in England, the friends I made while studying abroad, and taking my wife (then girlfriend) to an Indian restaurant when she visited me. The food was so spicy we had tears running down our cheeks. Good tears. Below is the recipe for my version of tikka masala.
I'd never had Indian food before. It always struck me as weird-looking and weird-smelling. But Indian food is a huge part of British culture, and I wanted to experience it. The ties between Britain and India stretch back to at least 1600 with the creation of the East India Company, which facilitated the trade of cotton, silk, tea, opium, and spices, among other things. As the Company gained power and influence in the region over the next two centuries, Britain began to rule India through military power and colonial imperialism. The East India Company dissolved after a rebellion in 1857, after which Britain assumed administrative control of India until its independence in 1947. As you can imagine, the close ties between the two countries resulted in British influences in India and Indian influences in Britain, which we can clearly see in the popularity of Indian food in England.
Tikka masala is the most popular dish in British restaurants. In fact, some consider it to be the national dish. It's a curry made with chunks of chicken (tikka) in a spicy sauce (masala). The chicken is marinated in a combination of yogurt and spices, and the sauce is tomato-based with an array of spices and other ingredients. There really is no standard recipe for tikka masala, but what you would eat in England can be considered an improvised British version of a dish that probably originated in India during the twentieth century. But there's really no consensus. As with many recipes, there are several chefs and cooks who claim to have "invented" tikka masala.
After my first taste of Indian food in Bath, I ate Indian food every single day for the rest of the summer. Seriously. Indian remains one of my favorite cuisines, and it always reminds me of my time in England, the friends I made while studying abroad, and taking my wife (then girlfriend) to an Indian restaurant when she visited me. The food was so spicy we had tears running down our cheeks. Good tears. Below is the recipe for my version of tikka masala.
The MarinadeFirst, combine the following ingredients in a glass baking dish:
* 1 cup of plain, low-fat Greek yogurt * 2-3 garlic cloves, minced * 1 tbsp ginger, minced * 1 1/2 tsp cumin * 1 1/2 tsp coriander * 1 tsp cayenne * 1/4 tsp cardamom * 1/4 tsp turmeric * salt and pepper Next, cut 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast into cubes, and stab each cube several times with the point of a sharp knife. Add the chicken cubes to the glass dish and stir to coat each piece with the marinade. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. |
The Cooking Process(1) Place chicken cubes on a greased baking sheet and broil in the oven until the chicken is brown, around 10 minutes. Set aside.
(2) Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a small skillet on medium heat and toast 1/4 cup whole almonds for 2-3 minutes. Let almonds cool and then grind them in a food processor. Set aside. (3) Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large dutch oven on medium-high heat and cook one onion (chopped), 2-3 garlic cloves (chopped), 1 tsp ginger (minced), and 2-3 serrano peppers (chopped--use any kind of hot pepper). (4) When onion is translucent, add 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala, 1 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp cayenne. Stir for about a minute. (5) Add one 35-ounce can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp white sugar, salt and pepper, and chicken. Cover the dutch oven partially and simmer 25 minutes on medium. (6) Add the almonds and one cup of coconut milk. Turn the heat to low and cook 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. (7) Re-heat tikka masala on medium heat until chicken is hot all the way through, about 10-15 minutes. Serve with basmati rice and naan bread. |