Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice Pilaf

Our goal was to develop a simple chicken masala recipe with readily available ingredients. To get there, we rubbed the chicken with a mixture of salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne, then dipped it in yogurt mixed with oil, garlic, and ginger. For a year-round tikka masala recipe, we chose the broiler rather than the grill and cooked the chicken in large pieces to prevent it from drying out.

This dish is best when prepared with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted. For a spicier dish, do not remove the ribs and seeds from the chile. If you prefer, substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper for the garam masala. The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve with basmati rice pilaf.
 
FOR THE CHICKEN:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

FOR THE MASALA:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced fine
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 serrano chilif, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream 
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. FOR THE MASALA: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve with basmati rice pilaf.

Basmati Rice Pilaf 
For a basmati rice pilaf recipe that produced light, fluffy, aromatic rice, we first rinsed the rice to remove excess starch. Adding water and then cooking the rice over low heat before removing it from the heat and allowing it to steam gave our basmati rice the fluffy texture we were looking for in our basmati rice recipe.

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, thoroughly rinsed through a fine mesh strainer
2 1/4 cups water
 
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, stirring often, until the edges of the rice begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.