I made Indian food!

About 4 years ago, I had never tasted the glory of Indian food. I had no idea that out there in the world was this fabulous combination of spices, cream and curry goodness. Until, this place. It doesn't look like much, but this restaurant was the beginning of my love affair with Indian food. When I lived in Boulder this restaurant was a weekly addiction shared with my ex-boyfriend and his family. I still crave their chicken makhani and lately, I have had quite the hankering. So much so that I decided I was finally ready to try it myself. So here's my first shot at making home-cooked Indian food...naan and all!

Chicken Tikka Masala

adapted from sophistimom

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons good paprika
• 2 teaspoon curry powder (hot)
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 4 ounce can tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 serrano pepper, thinly chopped (you may want to remove seeds depending on your heat preference)
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Pour olive oil in a pan and cook onions over medium high heat until slightly browned. Stir in the spices and cook for 1-2 more minutes or until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer. Transfer tomato mixture to crockpot and stir in the remaining ingredients (garlic, ginger, serrano and sugar). While the sauce cooks, marinate the chicken by following this recipe:

• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon good paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder (hot)
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Mix the chicken and spices together in a large ziploc bag or tupperware and place in fridge. Allow chicken to marinate for about 2 hours (or overnight). After 1 hour, add 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt to marinade and continue marinating. Next, place marinated chicken on a baking pan and cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. (tip: you may want to lay down aluminum foil or parchment paper so the chicken doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan)

Once chicken has baked add it to the crockpot along with the remaining yogurt, cream and cilantro. Cook 20 more min.

Garlic Naan

adapted from sophistimom

• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 scant tablespoon (1 package) yeast
• 1 cup warm water (between 105 and 115 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (or plain plus a tablespoon sugar)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 3 tbsp of water

Place the four in a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl combine yeast, water and yogurt. Make sure your water is at the correct temperature or the yeast will not activate. Allow yeast to bubble for about 5 minutes. Place yeast mixture into the flour. Add salt, water and 3 tbsp of butter. Mix with hands or dough hooks for about 5 minutes. Cover and place in a warm spot to let dough expand. When ready roll the dough in a thin tear drop shape onto a greased pan or pizza stone. Brush on melted butter and sprinkle dough with garlic salt. Bake for about 5 minutes at 500 degrees F. Repeat for more servings.