Chicken Tikka Masala

I was watching "America's Test Kitchen" on the Create channel one night, and they were demonstrating how to make a few popular Indian dishes.  This one struck my fancy because whenever I go to "Masala Wok," it's one of the things I usually order.  Now both Masala Wok and this recipe are probably geared toward American taste buds, but hey, it works for me.  


I searched for the recipe on America's Test Kitchen website, but they only post their more current recipes online for free.  But luckily, I found it through other means.  Thanks, Amy Scott, whoever you are!  Here's the recipe: http://amyscott.squarespace.com/journal/2008/11/5/chicken-tikka-masala.html


Let me warn you- this is not something you can whip up for your family on a busy weeknight.  It's pretty time-consuming and requires some preparation as well as procuring ingredients I did not have on hand- garam masala what???  I thought the best thing about the dish was that I was able to make chicken breast taste good.  Usually I am a fan of the dark meat, but after you coat the chicken in spices, yogurt, and oil, it seals in the moisture and doesn't dry it out!  Brilliant!


It was a recipe of "firsts."  First time making masala sauce, first time making basmati rice (mine ended up a little soggy), and first time broiling chicken.


We invited our small group over to partake in the Indian food, and it was quite a feast.  There were some last minute contributions to the meal (including appetizers, curry, and rice from a local Indian restaurant, and naan the size of my head (okay bigger than my head), I kid you not, leftover from Edwin's lunch.  Perfect timing!