Featured Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala with Caraway Rice

Copyright Linda Gassenheimer

Hungry for Indian flavors? Here’s a short-cut dinner. Delicately spiced Indian food takes time to make. For this dinner, I captured the essence of Tikka Masala, chicken in a creamy tomato sauce, so I can enjoy Indian food that can be quickly prepared. It’s an Indian dish with an English pedigree.

Spices are the secret. It’s worth gathering a few together for this dish. Garam masala is an important addition to the recipe. It’s a combination of spices usually made with cardamom, cloves, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper and nutmeg. Use it at the end of the cooking time to retain its aroma. It is available in the spice section of the market. Try it over other foods such as vegetables or rice.

The general rule for cooking fish is 10 minutes for a 1-inch thick piece. If the fish is thicker or thinner, adjust the cooking time using the 10-minute rule as a guideline. Allowing for the fact that the fish will continue to cook after it is removed from the heat, I usually cook the fish 8 minutes per inch.

Recipes

Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

2 teaspoons canola oil

3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup sliced onion

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 cups diced tomato

3/4 cup no-salt-added chicken broth

3 tablespoons light cream

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt

Heat oil in a medium-size, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion. Saute 2 minutes turning the chicken to brown on all sides. Add ginger, coriander, turmeric and garlic. Saute 1 minute. Add tomato and broth and cook 5 minutes. Add cream and garam masala. Stir to combine and cook gently 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice.

Caraway Rice

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

1 package microwave rice (1 1/2-cups cooked)

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Microwave rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 1/2-cup rice and reserve remaining rice for another time. Add oil, caraway seeds and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well..

Yields 2 servings.

Nutrition Information

Chicken Tikka Masala:Per serving: 381 calories (39 percent from fat), 16.6 g fat (5.8 g saturated, 6.2 g monounsaturated), 152 mg cholesterol, 43.4 g protein, 15.2 g carbohydrates, 3.9 g fiber, 157 mg sodium. Caraway Rice: Per serving: 213 calories (27 percent from fat), 6.3 g fat (0.6 g saturated, 3.6 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 4.4 g protein, 35.2 g carbohydrates, 3.8 g fiber, 8 mg sodium.

Shopping List

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes.

To buy:3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 small bottle ground ginger, 1 small bottle ground coriander, 1 small bottle turmeric, 1 small bottle garam masala, 1 small bottle caraway seeds, 2 tomatoes, 1 carton light cream, 1 package microwaveable rice and 1 bunch cilantro.

Staples: Canola oil, onion, minced garlic, no-salt-added chicken broth, salt and black peppercorns.

Helpful Hints

Spices keep for about six months. Buy new ones if yours are older.
The chicken tastes great on the next day. Make extra if you have time.

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