Chicken Tikka Alfredo (small batch)

 

This recipe I am sharing with you today is one that I spied earlier this week on Delish.  It was a part of an easy chicken recipes post. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it!

I really love a good chicken curry and I especially adore chicken tikka. It was one of the first curries I learned to cook when I moved over to the U.K.  The British are real curry lovers and I was really excited to try this recipe out.

 

It sounded interesting and delicious. There was a long list of ingredients, but most are spices that we all have in our cupboard.  It looked very simple and easy to make despite the long list.  

You can break it down into basically three components.  The chicken.  The sauce.  The pasta. A sort of mis en place of individual recipes, that when put together, turn into something quite, quite delicious!

 

I took the liberty of downsizing the recipe to serve only two people, as there is only me in this house. If you want the full recipe, simply double the ingredients or check out the original recipe on the Delish link.

It worked beautifully and really didn't take me that long to make.  The longest time was the marinade time for the chicken. 

If you chop all of the aromatics ahead of time, and marinade the chicken,  you will be well ahead of the game and should really be able to put it together rather quickly.

 

I did not always like curry. It was not something we grew up with.  My parents would have considered it rather exotic and they weren't much into anything that wasn't simple.

I remember moving to Calgary in the mid to late 70's and staying in a place called Motel Village until we got into our house. The place was run by Pakistanis and the whole motel smelled like curry.  I remember being more than a bit revolted by the smell and worrying that all of our clothing would end up smelling like that.

It was not until we moved to Suffield, Alberta in 1979 that I actually tasted curry for the first time and it was love at first taste.  Suffield is the British Army Training Unit Services in Canada and I had quite a few British friends there. 

One of my friends was having a party and made a whole pot of chicken curry for the party. I remember watching her throw a whole bottle of curry powder into it and thinking to myself, oh my goodness! That is going to be very spicy, but when all was said and done, I really enjoyed it.

 

Thus began my love affair with East Indian/Asian foods.  I have been loving them ever since.  Of course this love affair was cemented when I actually moved over to the U.K.!

Moving back here to Canada a few years ago, I was happy to learn that many Canadians actually embrace Indian flavors now and the ingredients for a good curry are not that difficult to procure these days!

I hasten to add that my oldest son also enjoys a good curry.  He is a chip off this old block. He has always had a very adventurous palate.

 

   WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN TIKKA ALFREDO

A rather lengthy list, but it is mostly aromatics and spices, most of which you probably already have.

For the chicken:

• 3/4 pound (340g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4)
• 1/4 cup (61g) full fat Greek yogurt
• 2 medium sized cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced (about 1/2 TBS)
• 3/4 tsp. garam masala
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 1/2 TBS ghee or butter
• 1 small brown onion, peeled and minced
• 3 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (1 TBS)
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded, deveined and minced (can use jalapeno)
• 1 TBS garam masala
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 3 ounces (85g) tomato paste (1/2 of a six ounce can)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) water
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
• salt to taste

To serve:

• 1.2 pound (8 oz/340g) bucatini or spaghetti
• freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• chopped cilantro or parsley to garnish (optional)
• mango chutney

 

There is really nothing too out of the ordinary here.  All of the spices were/are readily available in my small area so I expect that they are in most places. 

I could not find serrano peppers, but did have jalapenos and they work very well in their place.  Fresh garlic and ginger root are also very easy to find.  I try to buy local garlic wherever possible.

 

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TIKKA ALFREDO

This could not be simpler. Just take it one step at a time and before you know it, you can be enjoying this delicious curry also.  A homemade sauce and curry paste is infinitely better than anything store bought!

First make the chicken marinade. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together to combine well. Pat the chicken dry with some paper toweling. Place the chicken into a bowl. Add the yogurt mixture and rub it into the chicken really well. Cover and place into the refrigerator to marinate for at least half an hour.

Melt the ghee or butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Add the minced onions, garlic, ginger and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and just starting to turn brown. (8 - 10 minutes) Reduce the heat to medium.

Add the spices. Cook, stirring for 2 - 3 minutes until very fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes until dark red in color. Add the water and the honey, stirring together thoroughly to ensure there are no lumps.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Using an immersion blender, blitz until smooth. Alternately you may do this in a regular blender. If desired you may put it through a sieve.

Return the sauce to the pot and keep warm over very low heat.

 

Preheat the grill/broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the chicken pieces, keeping as much of the marinade on them as possible onto the baking sheet.

Broil under the grill/broiler for 18 to 20 minutes, turning halfway through the cook time. Grill until cooked through and charred in places. Remove to a cutting board and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Stir into the sauce, and heat through while you are cooking the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente according to the package directions. Drain well and return to the saucepan. Add the sauce, tossing to coat.

Serve immediately garnished with coriander/cilantro. Pass the Parmesan and mango chutney.

 

This was really, really good. You could make it hotter if you wanted to do by adding more chilies and cayenne, but I have never been fond of food that is so spicy it bites you back.

This was just right for me as it was.  A bit spicy but not over the top, burn the mouth and gut spicy. The sauce was rich and cream and beautifully flavored. The chicken was spiced just right as well and charred in all the right places!

If you are fond of curries you might also enjoy the following:

CURRY COCONUT KING PRAWNS - A simple recipe from Foster's Market, with perfectly cooked prawns in a delicious yet simple sauce. This is the perfect supper for when the nights are starting to draw in a bit and you are wanting something with a bit of heat and comfort.

LAMB ROGAN JOSH - This is a lovely lamb curry with tender juicy pieces of lamb in a beautifully rich spiced sauce. I would put this on the scale of a medium hot curry. Not mild, but not blow your socks off either.  This is a moderately spiced curry from Kashmir in the North of India, which is an area which is famous for its aromatic and sumptuous curries! 

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Chicken Tikka Alfredo (small batch)

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 1 H & 35 M

If you enjoy a good curry, then you will really enjoy this tasty riff on the traditional alfredo. Nicely spiced, with a rich and creamy sauce, along with plenty of pieces of marinated grilled chicken. This is a winner!

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 3/4 pound (340g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4)
• 1/4 cup (61g) full fat Greek yogurt
• 2 medium sized cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced (about 1/2 TBS)
• 3/4 tsp. garam masala
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 1/2 TBS ghee or butter
• 1 small brown onion, peeled and minced
• 3 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (1 TBS)
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded, deveined and minced (can use jalapeno)
• 1 TBS garam masala
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 3 ounces (85g) tomato paste (1/2 of a six ounce can)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) water
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
• salt to taste

To serve:

• 1.2 pound (8 oz/340g) bucatini or spaghetti
• freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• chopped cilantro or parsley to garnish (optional)
• mango chutney

Instructions

1. First make the chicken marinade. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together to combine well.
2. Pat the chicken dry with some paper toweling. Place the chicken into a bowl. Add the yogurt mixture and rub it into the chicken really well. Cover and place into the refrigerator to marinate for at least half an hour.
3. Melt the ghee or butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Add the minced onions, garlic, ginger and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and just starting to turn brown. (8 - 10 minutes) Reduce the heat to medium.
4. Add the spices. Cook, stirring for 2 - 3 minutes until very fragrant.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes until dark red in color. Add the water and the honey, stirring together thoroughly to ensure there are no lumps.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Using an immersion blender, blitz until smooth. Alternately you may do this in a regular blender. If desired you may put it through a sieve.
7. Return the sauce to the pot and keep warm over very low heat.
8. Preheat the grill/broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
9. Place the chicken pieces, keeping as much of the marinade on them as possible onto the baking sheet.
10. Broil under the grill/broiler for 18 to 20 minutes, turning halfway through the cook time. Grill until cooked through and charred in places. Remove to a cutting board and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Stir into the sauce, and heat through while you are cooking the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt.
11. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente according to the package directions. Drain well and return to the saucepan. Add the sauce, tossing to coat.
12. Serve immediately garnished with coriander/cilantro. Pass the Parmesan and mango chutney.

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