"Indian" Night - Chicken Tikka Masala, Chana Masala with Basmati Rice and Naan

I put "Indian" in quotations because Chicken Tikka Masala is not an authentic dish. I believe the British or British Indians conceivedthe dish.

Dinner for two:
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chana Masala
Basmati rice
Naan

I also had to throw in the veggies I got at the farmer's market that morning, too! I love veggies.

I had all the spices needed to make the Chicken Tikka Masala except the garam masala. So, I went to the Indian market, and it was there that I found a pre-mixed spice box. So, I decided to get that (it's kinda like using Mama Sita's to make Chicken Adobo).

A few simple ingredients: chicken thighs (can use breast, but I like dark meat better), a few tablespoons crushed canned tomatoes, half a chopped onion, and the spice mix.

1. Brown the onions and add chicken and spices.
2. Cook chicken.
3. Once chicken is cooked, add tomato sauce and 2 cups of water, lower heat, cover and let simmer until liquid reduces.

Once the juices have reduced, your Chicken Tikka Masala is ready!

At the same time I was making the chicken, I was also making the Chana Masala (chickpeas). The ingredients are essentially the same. I picked up a mix for the Chana Masala and they were spicier than the Chicken Tikka Masala blend.

Ingredients: 1 can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) - washed and rinsed, a few tablespoons of tomato sauce, half a chopped onion, and the Chana Masala spice blend.

The steps are essentially the same as well:
1. Brown onions

2. Add tomato sauce to pan of browned onions:

3. Add the beans and spice:

4. Mix well. Once mixed, add 1.5 cups of water. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer until water has reduced significantly (approx. 30-45 minutes)

After both the chicken and the beans were ready, I made the naan bread. The Indian market had the frozen naan bread, and all I had to do was heat them and brown them in a pan. The meal was served with a side of basmati rice.

All in all, this was a great meal. Easy to prepare, and relatively inexpensive. We would have spent around $15-20 a plate at our local Indian restaurant. My bf said "the chickpeas are badass." He really liked the heat from the spices. The chicken was nice and tender as well. Yay for happy tummies :)