Food & Wine's Chicken Tikka Masala

I love Indian food, especially chicken tikka masala sopped up with lots and lots of naan bread. Come to think of it, chicken tikka masala is my go-to dish at all Indian restaurants. I'm an adventurous eater and always like to try different things, but I just can't stay away from the stuff.

Up until a few months ago, I'd only eaten chicken tikka masala in restaurants or ordered some in. It never even dawned on me to try to make it myself. I figured you needed a tandoor oven to cook the chicken in and I didn't feel ready to make naan bread from scratch.

Then Daniel came home one day with a package of all-natural naan bread that he found at our local Key Food. He thought we'd just eat it with something simple. After almost 10 years together, you think he'd know me better than that! Instantly, I started searching for chicken tikka masala recipes. This one from Food & Wine was the winner and I've now made it three times.

It's pretty simple. First, you marinate chicken thighs with yogurt, fresh ginger, and a bunch of exotic spices overnight and then broil it the next day. While the chicken is cooking, you can start making the sauce, a mix of whole peeled tomatoes, ground almonds, more spices, a cup of cream and a pinch of sugar. In just about an hour, you'll have a homemade chicken tikka masala that's slightly thick and a bit creamy. If you're like me, you'll also appreciate its soft, subtle color. Unlike the bright red ones I've had at many restaurants, this chicken tikka masala is free of any food coloring.

Fresh and fragrant, it's also a great dinner party dish. Your friends who are already familiar with Indian food will tell you over and over how amazing it is and you'll be lucky if there are any leftovers. If you plan to serve it to guests who are new to Indian food, assure them that the sauce is just slightly spicy. If that doesn't work, compare it to a kicked up chicken cacciatore with a touch of cream. That should do the trick. Oh and that naan bread Daniel discovered at Key Food? It's slowly becoming a staple in our home. It'll never be as soft and fluffy as naan fresh from the oven, but it comes pretty close.

Food & Wine's Chicken Tikka Masala
Active time: 45 min
Total time: 9 hours 30 min
Serves: 4

Masala Marinade

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Chicken

• 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup blanched whole almonds
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• One 35-ounce can peeled tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. MAKE THE MASALA MARINADE: In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper.
2. PREPARE THE CHICKEN: Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the broiler and position a rack about 8 inches from the heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade; scrape off as much of the marinade as possible. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread the pieces on a baking sheet. Broil the chicken, turning once or twice, until just cooked through and browned in spots, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut it into 2-inch pieces.
4. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground.
5. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garam masala, chile powder and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in the chicken; simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and serve.

6. Variation: The marinade and sauce here are also delicious with shrimp, lamb and vegetables.

Make ahead: The Chicken Tikka Masala can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Serve with: Steamed basmati rice, rice pilaf or warm nan.

Christmas in California

Whenever I go to California, or the west coast for that matter, I'm always so blown away by the beauty, the open skies, the rugged coastline, the cold yet gorgeous beaches. I'm a New Yorker at heart. Born and bred. But sometimes, I dream about living in California.

I never really thought too seriously about it until this Christmas. I spent the holidays in Stinson Beach, a small town an hour north of San Francisco with Daniel, my Mom, my uncle, my brother, my soon-to-be sister-in-law, their 3-week old daughter and their other "daughter", a dog named Violet.

My Mom found a great house through a local realtor and for months, I was counting down the days till we gathered there.

After driving along the coast on a curvy, nausea-inducing road for 12 miles, we finally arrived in Stinson. Starving because we forgot to pack any food for our flight, we were so happy to settle in at The Sand Dollar, a local spot that had really good fish tacos and so-so fish and chips.

Thinking back, I remember how the sun streamed into the restaurant that afternoon, casting such a soothing light. A yellow lab lounged on the porch, staring intently at me as I ate and I just felt so happy to be on the west coast, to smell such fresh air, to spend the holidays with my whole family, something I don't get to do as often as I'd like. It was one of those early moments of a vacation that you remember so well. The beginning. You know that many more wonderful moments await you and you feel so lucky, so overjoyed that you're only a few hours in and still have days and days ahead of you. I always try to remember that feeling and hold onto it as tightly as I can, because before you know it, you're back on a plane, heading home.

When we arrived at the house, I was stunned. It had looked beautiful on the realty website and yet in person, it was even better. I felt like a little kid, running from room to room, gasping at all the different beach views, the big open yard which had a fresh, woodsy smell with hints of eucalyptus. It was cold that first day, very similar to the weather we'd left in NY, but the minute we lit a fire in the living room and another in the master suite, the whole place warmed up and I never, ever wanted to leave.

Our week was spent cooking and eating, with trips to Muir Woods and morning walks to the beach to play catch with Violet. There was even a very intense game of Monopoly one evening that lasted four hours.

I may not have won (or even come close), but I did hold my precious niece while she slept throughout the entire game. That alone made up for my poor performance.

As if things couldn't get better, my brother proposed to his girlfriend and with an intense, orange sunset as our backdrop, we toasted their future with champagne for them, and sparking grape juice for me!

When we weren't wrapping presents or taking pictures or gushing over the gorgeous views, we were gathered in the kitchen. It was messy and fun to sit around a table or stove to make and enjoy so many good meals together.

Daniel was our morning chef with his bacon, egg, and cheeses and breakfast quiches, my Mom spoiled us with multiple gourmet dinners and my brother supplied some seafood feasts: Dungeness crab one night, followed by lobster the next. I pitched in by using up a bunch of bananas to make this. My Mom and I thought we'd be able to take a couple slices with us on the plane ride home, but it was long gone before then.

Here's to a happy 2008 to all of you. I have a lot to look forward to this year and feel blessed to have such a great family and so many wonderful friends in my life.

P.S. I know I haven't been writing much, but I promise to be back in a few days with a really good recipe that I highly recommend. I'm making it for the third time tonight and it's about time I shared it with all of you!