Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala

I went to my first Indian restaurant a few weeks ago, Taste of India, here in Utah, and absolutely loved it. It was spicy and so yummy. The only downside was that they use a lot of cream in their sauces, so I knew I was probably reaking havoc on my diet! Anyway, I came across this healthy Indian recipe at Get Off Your Tush and Cook and was so excited! It was so yummy! It was very spicy though, so if you have kids or want less heat, I would suggest adding an additional 6-ounce container of nonfat plain Greek yogurt to the sauce.


For the chicken marinade:

• 3 oz plain greek yogurt (just get one standard 6 oz container)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks

For the sauce:

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 tspn fresh ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 3 oz fat free greek yogurt (the other half of the 6 oz container)
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt to taste (and cayenne pepper if you want it hotter)
• 4 tbsp fresh cilantro
• Brown Basmati rice (or other rice to serve it over)

Directions: Cut the chicken breast into cubes and combine with all the marinade ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 mintues to an hour.

While chicken is marinating, work on the sauce. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until golden (about 5 minutes). Add the crushed ginger, stir for one minute then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt; mix well until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, yogurt and milk. Let sauce simmer on low heat until sauce thickens.

While sauce is simmering, cook your chicken. In traditional tikka masala, the chicken is skewered and grilled, but I was lazy and just threw the chunks right into my hot grill pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through and a bit charred. Add chicken back into the simmering sauce. Add a chopped cilantro and serve with Brown Bamati Rice or Naan. Enjoy!