This is one of my favorite things to make for dinner when I allow myself a dairy cheat day. This is also the recipe I get most of my questions about when I post about it. My husband asked me to make this for him a few years ago, something not in the regular rotation of meals and I said no without hesitation. After a couple of weeks, I explored various recipes, tried it at various restaurants and embarked on creating a version that suited me best. There were several recipes heavy on the cayenne and I tried them….I’m not a fan of too much heat so adding very little heat (to almost none) worked best for me. Adjust according to your taste. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.
Ingredients:
Marinade
- 1 cup plain yogurt or 2 5 oz contaners of yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (for more heat, up to 2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 long skewers
Sauce
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee
- 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
- 5 clove garlic, minced
- 5 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 5 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
- 2 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Combine: In a large bowl, lemon juice, yogurt, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, and black pepper. Add in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for AT LEAST 1 hour. The more, the better. I typically leave it overnight.
Preheat a grill for high heat.
Oil grill grate: Put chicken onto skewers and brush marinade on skewered chicken one last time. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill about 5 minutes on each side.
Sauté sauce and simmer: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and adding garlic and jalapeño and saute for 1 minute—season with cumin, garam masala, paprika, and salt to taste (I only use around 1 teaspoon). Stir in tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes. Add heavy cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 -30 minutes. Toss in grilled chicken from the grill and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
Plate and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Serve with Basmati Rice and Naan Bread
