Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut in 1 inch cubes

Marinade

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 piece minced ginger (1-inch long)
• 6 bamboo skewers

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (buy in Indian market)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup whipping cream or Coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Soak bamboo skewers in water.

Thread chicken on skewers and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour (overnight is best).

For sauce, melt butter on medium heat. Add garlic& jalapeno; cook 1 minute. Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala& salt. Stir in tomato sauce. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cream; simmer to thicken- about 5 minutes.

Discard marinade. Grill or broil chicken, turning occasionally, to cook through- about 8 minutes.
Remove chicken from skewers; add to sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with basmati rice, naan or pita bread. Serves four.

496 calories in 1 serving, 30 g fat (17.5 g saturated)

Garlic Naan

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
• butter
• garlic powder
• fresh or dried parsley

Directions

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the yogurt till the dough is too stiff for a spoon, then knead it in the bowl till it holds together well, adding more flour if necessary. Turn it out on a floured surface and continue kneading for about 5 minutes till the dough feels smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, covered with a towel, to rest for an hour or longer.

Heat a large frying pan or griddle, either seasoned cast iron or a good non-stick finish. Heat your oven to about 500 and have the broiler on.

Take the dough out and cut it into 10 equal pieces. Form each into a ball and press the balls flat into round discs. Take 1 piece of dough at a time and roll it out on a floured surface till it is about 8-10 inches across and less than 1/4 inch thick. Lay it on the hot griddle and cook it over a medium heat, flip after 2-3 minutes. Bubbles should form and turn blackish-brown. Slide a spatula under the naan and transfer it to the oven, directly onto the rack, for a minute or two, just till it finishes puffing up into a balloon and begins to color lightly on top.

Remove naan from the oven and brush it lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with garlic powder and parsley.

Continue this way with all the dough, stacking the breads into a napkin-lined basket. Serve hot, fresh from the oven.

To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil, in packets of 4 or 5 breads and put them in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

213 calories in 1, 1.2 g fat (0.6 saturated)