Chicken Tikka Night

Most often, when it comes to making dinner, I never really know what I am going to make until an inspiration just comes to me. Most of the time, it happens at random, as I am looking through cookbooks, just looking at recipes and getting ideas. Sometimes, I have a general idea in mind, but more so than not, I don’t know until it comes time to making dinner. And then I check my pantry to see what I have on hand and what I need to get. And from this spark comes dinner. This time, I was inspired to do some Indian chicken tikka.

The inspiration for this dish actually came from 2 different sources. At first, I was thinking of something completely different, and then I kept flipping pages, this was what I wanted to make. And viola, this dish was created. The first recipe I found called for a jar of tikka sauce, but I try my best NOT to use store-bought items if I can help it, so I wanted to make it myself. I had to go to the store for some of the ingredients anyway, so I looked at the ingredient list on a jar of tikka sauce, and thought I can do better than this. So I did. 🙂

Chicken Tikka with Roasted Vegetables

I love big, bold flavors in almost all of my cooking. That may be why I have such an affinity for so many different ethnic foods. I started off by roasting some tomatoes and went from there.

3-4 tomatoes, roasted

1-2 jalapenos, seeded

2 TBSP garlic, divided

1 TBSP minced ginger

1/3 cup olive oil

4 tsp coriander

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp cardamom

1 TBSP lemon juice

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream or yogurt

2 lbs chicken pieces

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

2-3 carrots, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced medium

chopped cilantro, for topping

Roast the tomatoes for about 30 minutes at 425* F or about 220* C.

Allow the tomatoes to cool for a bit, then add to a food processor along with the jalapeno, spices, olive oil, 1/2 of the garlic, ginger and cream or yogurt and blend together until you have a creamy sauce.

Marinate the chicken in the sauce for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Reserve some of the sauce without the chicken for a topping once the meal is done.

Toss the vegetables, along with more olive oil, garbanzo beans, salt & pepper together, then arrange on a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread the vegetables out so they make a single layer.

Arrange the chicken pieces into the pan as well.

Roast everything together for about 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked completely. After about 20 minutes or so, mix up the vegetables so they cook evenly.

Once the chicken and vegetables are done, top them with more sauce and some of the fresh cilantro. You can serve over rice or potatoes. I served it with some roasted potatoes and warmed pita bread, and a cool, crispy, citrusy chardonnay on the side. Even a sweet white wine would go well with this dish. A sweeter wine will compliment the spiciness of the dish nicely.

This is a layered dish with so many great flavors and textures all blending together. It came out oh so good.

Stay well and stay safe Everyone. ‘Til next time.