Chicken Tikka Masala

We like to eat Indian food at a local restaurant that serves a lunch buffet daily. The only problem is that the restaurant is way across town, and dinner is quite expensive. So, we both get the occasional unsatisfied craving for Chicken Tikka Masala and naan bread.

I'd tried a couple of different techniques before- one out of a packet, one a regular recipe- and both tasted like crap. I hated throwing that food away- rice, chicken, sauce, etc. It irritates me when a meal does not come out. But, I find I can generally trust America's Test Kitchen's recipe integrity, found their version, and threw caution to the wind.

This came out pretty good, even if a little un-photogenic. We have a canister of Rajah brand garam masala that proved a good balance, not overly cinnamon-y like some we've smelled/tasted.

I was unable to find the called-for serrano chile at my grocery store (they seem to have a problem with the lowly serrano, and never stock it for some reason), so I left it out, again somewhat concerned that it'd be too spicy for the bebeh girl. You never know with Indian food.

It did wind up needing just a skosh more of something spicy, but was generally tasty and consistent with what we've eaten at the buffet.

Let me know if you want the recipe. I'm not gonna type it out until then, because that's how I roll. Don't judge me.

I wished we'd had some naan, but no dice, so I settled for some leftover regular flatbread. I made a batch of hummus to go with, which came out OK but a little too garlicky. Yeah, yeah, I know it's not Indian food, but it's close enough for government work. Again with the judgment! Jesus!