Simple Chicken Tikka Masala (VG option)
For so long I never even considered making an Indian dish — I think I was mildly traumatized by my efforts to make Thai food, which just never seems to turn out quite the same if you try to ease up on the sugar. But Indian dishes translate beautifully to homemade and so now I have a new love.
Besides being delicious and warming and cozy and oh so satisfying, Indian dishes are abundant in body loving spices. These spices support digestion, reduce inflammation, are cancer protective, improves insulin sensitivity, gives love to the heart, increases immune function, and is protective against neurodegenerative disorders. This dish also supports the gut microbiome, not only by lowering inflammation in the gut but because of it’s rich diversity of prebiotic fibers.
It’s a recipe for the body and soul.
Note: This tikka masala is abundant in chickpeas and chicken, so it’s a little less saucy than traditional tikka masala. I prefer this because my body feels better energetically with more legumes and protein than more grains, and being less saucy I feel less of a desire to sop everything up with cups upon cups of rice. My goal is always to make meals as body loving as possible.
INGREDIENTS
Simple Chicken Tikka Masala (VG option)
2 tbs avocado oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 tbs ground cumin
5 medium cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh ginger, minced
1 medium bell pepper, sliced into 1” pieces
5 thai chilis or 1 serrano pepper *see notes on heat
1.25 lbs chicken breast, cubed (omit for vegan, option to add more chickpeas)
1 tbs coriander, ground
1 tsp paprkia
3/4 tsp himalayan salt (plus more to taste at end)
30 oz crushed tomatoes
29 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbs honey
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 tsp garam masala
14 oz coconut milk, full fat, guar gum free
Cayenne to taste, used to adjust heat at the end
Cilantro (to serve)
Brown rice (to serve)
METHOD
In dutch oven or deep skillet (this is what I use but even a pot will do):
Add the onions, avocado oil and cumin and heat over medium low. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, ginger, bell pepper, chilis (see note) and cook for another 5 minutes.
Next, add the chicken, coriander, paprika, and salt. Stir to coat and cook another 3 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, honey, garam masala and turmeric. Cook for 20 minutes, uncovered, until nice and thick.
Lastly, add the coconut milk and simmer another 5 minutes.
Season to taste at the end, adding more salt and cayenne if needed. If you’d like a little more depth, add more garam masala.
Serve over brown rice with cilantro (detoxifying), and maybe some crushed cashews for crunch.
Enjoy!
ADJUSTING THE HEAT
This recipe has some heat, falling around a 6 out of 10 — but we all have different heat tolerances so who am I to really say. I added cayenne at the end to bring the heat up, so I feel this recipe as written is a nice starting point. However, adjust the heat to YOUR liking.
For less heat you could use less peppers.
For a very mild heat, you can remove the seeds.
For more heat, add more peppers or cayenne.
Tip: different heat preferences in the house? Make it more mild, and add bring the cayenne to the table so everyone can adjust it to their liking.