ShadowDriver
somebody shut me the fark up.
Well, I started off this adventure intending to make a mean Chicken Tikka Vindaloo. I fell short, but achieved a pretty mean Chicken Tikka Masala (The UK's National Dish... aka. "CTM.").
1. Get yourself some chicken thighs. A pack of 4, on sale, ran us about $2.50.
2. Mix up a batch of Tikka marinade. You'll need most of the spice mixture from Epicurious (yes, this is a new recipe for me).
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin (toasted, if you can)
- 3/4 tsp ground coriander (toasted, if you can)
- 1-2 Tbsp minced garlic from a jar
- 1-1.5 Tbsp minced ginger from a jar
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala (It's worth it to get good quality or grind your own)
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Glug or two of oil (EVOO, Avocado, Vegetable... whatever you have handy)
Combine all of the above in a bowl, gently stirring to combine. Pour over the chicken in a gallon zip-top bag. Keep in the fridge overnight, massaging into the bird before you go to work in the morning.
3. Prepare a hot grill - I like to use my Vortex (thanks to a very kind anonymous soul among you Brethren)
4. Cook as you normally would, flipping and such until the bird has a nice char, and the internal temp is at least 160F.
5. Bring the bird inside - let it rest. About 15-20 min later (when you have a minute in the midst of the later steps, cut/pull the meat off the bone and make it bite-sized).
If you have a significant other - carefully skin the chicken thighs. Bring 1 or 2 of these skins of chicken thighs to your significant other. Make them promise to not come into the kitchen for more if you give them this offering (trust me... this will keep the kitchen clear, otherwise it'll be a frickin' circus in there once folks smell/taste this chicken)!
Bird before chopping:
6. Heat a good 1/2-3/4 cup of chopped white and/or yellow onion in a pan (with a good glug of oil... or a good knob of ghee) over medium heat. Stir for a bit, until it sweats down a bit.
7. Add a Tbsp of minced garlic, and a little less of minced ginger to the mix. Continue to stir and sweat down.
8. Add 3-4-5 Tbsp of Mr. Patak's HOT Curry Paste to the pan - stir into the mixture and help incorporate. Prob 5-10 minutes is a good timeframe.
9. Add a 8oz-ish can of diced or petite-dice tomatoes (and juice) to the pan. Stir and cook approximately 3-4 minutes.
10. Add the chicken chunks/pieces you worked on above. Stir in, and let warm through, while coating them well.
11. Simmer for approx 10-20 minutes, adding water, stirring, tasting, adding a bit of S & P, stirring, and tasting until you're happy.
It's YOUR dinner, not mine! Heck, go back and add some more curry paste if you want it a bit hotter!
12. Spoon chicken curry over rice, garnish with some chopped (scissors work great) cilantro, and spoon in some cucumber & onion Raita to help cool things down.
Kids LOVE the chicken before you put it in the sauce. If you've got toddlers, I highly suggest that you grill/prepare an extra thigh for them. Trust me - I'm behind the curve on this tonight.
Y'all have a great weekend.
1. Get yourself some chicken thighs. A pack of 4, on sale, ran us about $2.50.
2. Mix up a batch of Tikka marinade. You'll need most of the spice mixture from Epicurious (yes, this is a new recipe for me).
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin (toasted, if you can)
- 3/4 tsp ground coriander (toasted, if you can)
- 1-2 Tbsp minced garlic from a jar
- 1-1.5 Tbsp minced ginger from a jar
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala (It's worth it to get good quality or grind your own)
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Glug or two of oil (EVOO, Avocado, Vegetable... whatever you have handy)
Combine all of the above in a bowl, gently stirring to combine. Pour over the chicken in a gallon zip-top bag. Keep in the fridge overnight, massaging into the bird before you go to work in the morning.
3. Prepare a hot grill - I like to use my Vortex (thanks to a very kind anonymous soul among you Brethren)
4. Cook as you normally would, flipping and such until the bird has a nice char, and the internal temp is at least 160F.
5. Bring the bird inside - let it rest. About 15-20 min later (when you have a minute in the midst of the later steps, cut/pull the meat off the bone and make it bite-sized).
If you have a significant other - carefully skin the chicken thighs. Bring 1 or 2 of these skins of chicken thighs to your significant other. Make them promise to not come into the kitchen for more if you give them this offering (trust me... this will keep the kitchen clear, otherwise it'll be a frickin' circus in there once folks smell/taste this chicken)!
Bird before chopping:
6. Heat a good 1/2-3/4 cup of chopped white and/or yellow onion in a pan (with a good glug of oil... or a good knob of ghee) over medium heat. Stir for a bit, until it sweats down a bit.
7. Add a Tbsp of minced garlic, and a little less of minced ginger to the mix. Continue to stir and sweat down.
8. Add 3-4-5 Tbsp of Mr. Patak's HOT Curry Paste to the pan - stir into the mixture and help incorporate. Prob 5-10 minutes is a good timeframe.
9. Add a 8oz-ish can of diced or petite-dice tomatoes (and juice) to the pan. Stir and cook approximately 3-4 minutes.
10. Add the chicken chunks/pieces you worked on above. Stir in, and let warm through, while coating them well.
11. Simmer for approx 10-20 minutes, adding water, stirring, tasting, adding a bit of S & P, stirring, and tasting until you're happy.
It's YOUR dinner, not mine! Heck, go back and add some more curry paste if you want it a bit hotter!
12. Spoon chicken curry over rice, garnish with some chopped (scissors work great) cilantro, and spoon in some cucumber & onion Raita to help cool things down.
Kids LOVE the chicken before you put it in the sauce. If you've got toddlers, I highly suggest that you grill/prepare an extra thigh for them. Trust me - I'm behind the curve on this tonight.
Y'all have a great weekend.
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