Today, it's easier than ever to have food delivered straight to your door, and Americans are taking advantage. The average household spends $3,008 per year on restaurant meals and takeout, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.
If you're looking to cut back on your food bill in 2018, a simple fix is to cook more at home. The next time you're about to order from your favorite Indian spot, consider whipping up this homemade chicken tikka masala instead.
The recipe below is provided by Tasty.
Chicken tikka masala
Ingredients for 5 servings:
CHICKEN MARINADE
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lemon
- 125 g (½ cup) yogurt
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons paprika
SAUCE
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion, chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 800 g (3 ½ cups) tomato sauce, or crushed tomato
- 300 mL (1 ¼ cups) water
- 250 mL (1 cup) cream
- fresh coriander, chopped, for garnish
- rice, to serve
- naan bread, to serve
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- wooden skewers, or bamboo skewers
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C).
2. Slice the chicken into bite-sized chunks.
3. Combine the chicken with the rest of the chicken marinade ingredients in a bowl until evenly coated.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Skewer the marinated chicken pieces on bamboo skewers or wooden skewers, then place them over a baking tray lined with parchment paper, making sure there is space underneath the chicken to help distribute the heat more evenly.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until slightly dark brown on the edges.
7. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onions, ginger and garlic until tender but not browned.
8. Fry the spices for about 30 seconds to release their aromatics and flavor, stirring constantly.
9. Stir in the tomato puree.
10. Add the tomato sauce and water, then bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes.
11. Pour in the cream.
12. Mix in the chicken, cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
13. Serve with rice or naan bread and garnish with coriander!
Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal is a minority investor in BuzzFeed, the parent company of Tasty.
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