Nashville Chicken Tikka Masala Food

THE BEST CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• For the chicken marinade: Whisk together the yogurt, ginger, salt, chili powder, garam masala, pepper, turmeric and garlic in a large bowl until combined. Toss the chicken in the spiced yogurt marinade until evenly coated. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24. (Overnight works best.)
• For the sauce: Melt the ghee in a large Dutch oven or wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and serrano, season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until very fragrant and the ginger starts to turn golden and sticks to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fenugreek leaves, garam masala, chili powder and paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up into pieces with a spoon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half and the tomatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Let the hot sauce cool for about 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender filling no more than halfway. (If your blender is small, you may need to work in batches.) Remove the center cap from the lid and place it on the blender. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream and puree until creamy. Pour into a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Season with salt.
• Meanwhile, position a rack directly under the broiler and preheat to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside.
• Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the rack. Broil until the chicken starts to brown in spots, 3 to 6 minutes per side (it will not be cooked through). Remove from the broiler. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Top the chicken and sauce with cilantro. Serve with rice and naan.

NASHVILLE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on all sides.
• Melt the butter in a small skillet and stir in 1 tablespoon tikka masala spice and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir the ginger, garlic, lemon juice and yogurt together in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the butter mixture. Add the chicken and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Marinate the chicken for 4 to 6 hours.
• When you're ready to fry, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let set at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• In a small saucepan, whisk together 2 cups vegetable oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons tikka masala spice, 6 tablespoons of the chili powder and the brown sugar. Place over low heat until ready to use.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the vodka sauce and 1/4 cup of the chili oil. Bring to a simmer, then keep over low heat until ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• In a shallow dish, combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons salt, onion powder, sweet paprika, remaining 1 tablespoon Indian chili powder and black pepper to taste.
• Heat a few inches vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven until it registers 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess marinade. Coat the chicken pieces one at a time in the flour mixture and place on a baking sheet. Set a wire rack over another baking sheet for draining the chicken after it fries. Carefully lower the coated chicken into the oil. The temperature will drop to between 300 and 325 degrees F; adjust the heat to maintain this temperature. Fry the chicken without turning for 2 to 3 minutes to set the crust. Continue to cook, carefully turning the pieces as needed with tongs, until golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each piece should register 165 degrees F. Transfer the fried chicken to the wire rack to drain. Sprinkle with salt.
• To serve, place a piece of bread on a plate, top with a large spoonful of vodka tikka masala sauce and place 2 pieces of chicken on the bread. Drizzle with the chili oil.

CHEF JOHN'S NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toss chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Transfer chicken to a bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Whisk buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce, and egg together in a mixing bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and stir to ensure each piece is thoroughly coated. Cover and let chicken marinate in refrigerator 2 to 4 hours.
• Mix flour and salt together in a shallow flat dish. Remove chicken from marinade and blot with paper towels. Reserve marinade. Toss chicken in flour until thoroughly coated. Return chicken to marinade, coating all sides; remove chicken from marinade allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Coat the chicken once again in flour mixture. Place on a rack. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Allow to sit out about 15 minutes to allow coating to dry out a bit.
• Place butter and lard in a large pot. Add cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until fats melt. Remove from heat; keep sauce warm.
• Fill cast iron skillet about 1/3 of the way with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat. Carefully place chicken into hot oil, skin side down. Maintain an oil temperature of 325 degrees F, adjusting heat as need. Fry until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
• Transfer chicken to a rack to drain. Brush with the sauce on both sides.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 13 ingredients. Add chicken, jalapeno and bay leaf. Cook, covered, on low 4 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove jalapeno and bay leaf., In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cream until smooth; gradually stir into sauce. Cook, covered, on high 15-20 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve with rice. If desired, sprinkle with cilantro.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large, lidded casserole on the hob, then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 15-20 mins until soft and golden.
• Add the tikka masala paste and peppers, then cook for 5 mins more to cook out the rawness of the spices.
• Add the chicken breasts and stir well to coat in the paste. Cook for 2 mins, then tip in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and 200ml water. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove the lid, stir through the mango chutney, double cream and natural yogurt, then gently warm through. Season, then set aside whatever you want to freeze. Will keep, in an airtight container, in the freezer for up to three months. Scatter the rest with coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice and naan bread.