pretty by the bay

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Eve. I’ll go out and party if an opportunity presents itself, but deep down, I hate crowds, I hate staying up late, and I hate being charged out the wazoo to enter a bar, restaurant, etc. that on any other day would let me in for free. So this year, Corey and I embraced our inner hermits and simply stayed home on Dec. 31. We built a fire, hung out in our jammies and didn’t even stay up until midnight (gasp!), and it was one of the best NYE’s I can remember from recent years!

Of course, a delicious meal contributed to the evening’s greatness. Rather than resort to take out, I made us a little take in meal of Chicken Tikka Masala and….drumroll please…Homemade Naan!

I surprised myself with this one. I don’t know if I mentioned it along with my other culinary fears, but I have a HUGE fear of yeast. Anything that can potentially die  as a result of my mishandling (and therefore ruin my finished product) deserves fear and respect. But hey, we’re in a new year – and while I’m not one to make resolutions, I am willing to take risks and try new things. In this case, the risk-taking paid off as we had some delicious naan to soak up the tikka masala sauce. You’ll find the recipe I used here. It was quite easy, and the only way I came up short was in shaping the naan before baking it off. The recipe is a bit vague on how to do that, so I gently stretched it as you would a pizza crust. That method seemed to work but didn’t get each piece as thin as I’d like it to be. The final product was a bit thick – sort of like a pita – but still delicious. I’ll get it lighter and thinner next time around. (Side note: remember in this post when I asked what nigella is? Apparently, nigella = black onion seeds as called for in the naan recipe. I left them out, but  hey, cool trivia!)

As for the Chicken Tikka Masala, it’s yet another fabulous (and easy) recipe from the folks at Cook’s Illustrated. Many Indian recipes call for an inordinate number of exotic spices, but this revolves almost completely around garam masala, which is easily found in most regular grocery stores. It’s also surprisingly low in fat – not a drop of clarified butter in sight. If you’ve never eaten Indian food – or never made it at home – this is a great starter recipe that tastes almost as authentic as a dish you’d order in a restaurant. Techincally, the recipe makes two servings, but we found it generous enough for leftovers on New Year’s Day.

Chicken Tikka Masala

adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

serves 2 to 3

For the chicken:

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp salt

2 (6 to 8 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry

1/2 cup plain yogurt (whole milk is suggested, though you can use low fat; do not substitute fat free)

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

For the sauce:

14.5 oz can whole tomatoes

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 small onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 small jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced

1 1/2 tsp tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp sugar

salt, to taste

1/3 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp chopped cilantro plus more for garnish

First, prep the chicken: Combine the garam masala, cayenne and salt in a small bowl, then rub the mixture on each chicken breast. Press to ensure the spices adhere. Refrigerate the chicken for at one hour. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, garlic and ginger; reserve this mixture for later and refrigerate.

When the hour is nearly up, make the sauce: Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, about 15 seconds. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, cooking until they are soft and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste and garam masala and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the pureed tomatoes, the sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt; bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt. Cover and keep warm until the chicken is ready. (If necessary, bring the sauce back to temperature over low heat. Do not return to a boil as the yogurt may curdle.)

As you finish the sauce, cook the chicken. Adjust an oven rack to 6 inches below your broiler element, and heat the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and position a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. Use tongs to dip the seasoned chicken into the reserved yogurt mix, turning the pieces to ensure an even, thick coating. Place the chicken on the wire rack and broil until lightly charred, 6 to 10 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the breasts and the heat of your broiler. (The internal temperature should register 160 to 165 degrees. If your broiler, like mine, is a piece of crap, you may prefer to start the chicken in a really hot oven – i.e., 475 to 500 degres – and finish it under the broiler to achieve the char marks.)

Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes, then cut it into large chunks. Add the chicken to the warm sauce and stir to coat. Add the chopped cilantro and adjust salt, if necessary. Garnish with more cilantro and serve over cooked rice or with fresh naan.