Spice Up Quarantine With Tikka Masala

Mas Tikka Mas (ala, that is), pretty please!

I’ve always had a huge passion for food that has, not just a good kick of spice, but also a lot of spices. Tikka Masala is packed with a lovely medium heat but also brings an umami flavor profile that packs a major punch.

On a recent Thursday morning, I started thinking about spices (I do that sometimes) and decided to turn my stinkin’ phone off, play hooky from everything, and indulge in a day of nothing but cooking. 

When you see this dish and look at the list of ingredients, you might assume that Tikka Masala comes from India, but the truth is that its origin is kind of unclear. Tikka also has a long history in the U.K., but that could have to do with the large Indian population in that part of the world. Regardless, this spice-engorged dish is damn delicious and well worth the time and effort it takes to turn it out. 

You in? Then let’s cook! First, you need a good cut of chicken. I like thighs because they have good flavor and are fattier (fat equals flavor) than say breasts. Don’t get me wrong now; I got nothin’ against beautiful breasts, but that’s a story for another time. The chicken gets a marinade for at least a couple of hours, if not overnight.

The sauce that the meat will later simmer in has a multitude of spices: fresh garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and heavy cream. One suggested method of cooking is to skewer the meat and give a light sear before submerging it in the sauce. I like to just toss it in the heated sauce after its marinated and let it braise for a couple of hours on a low heat. This will allow the chicken to really absorb a butt-load of flavor and make it super tender, juicy, and just a little bit sexy.

While the meat is cooking and the sauce is thickening just a touch, I like to make jasmine rice cooked in coconut milk and water.

Once its ready, let it cool on a cookie sheet and then crisp it up a cast iron skillet with some sesame oil, green and red onions, sesame seeds, and lime juice. Toast up some roasted garlic naan, and voila, you have a feast that will make your taste buds so very happy.

To enhance my dining pleasure, I got a little creative with a homemade, Korean rice wine I’ve been playing with called makgeolli (“Mahk-uh-lee”). This is kind of like an un-filtered sake that is easy-as-shit to make and ferments to about the same alcohol content as grape wine but has a very tart taste. Ever on a mission to make stuff taste better, I spiced this baby up with some slightly warmed honey and fresh lime juice. The result was a wicked, tasty, and refreshing cocktail.

The movie I chose to pair with the colorful, culturally diverse dinner was The Darjeeling Limited. Another Wes Anderson gem, this movie is quirky and funny with a kick-ass cast and is a long time fave of mine.

And so, if you want to fill your house with the most wonderful, aromatic smells, get a sweet, sweet buzz on, and watch a good flick, then this is one way to get ‘er done. Enjoy!