Weeknight Indian Feast

…is totally in the realm of doable! What’s the secret? Choose recipes that are mostly hands-off. None of the recipes below have you tending a pan full of onions or browning meat that needs attention for more than a moment or two. So you can have the 4 elements going simultaneously without losing your cool. You can do it!

This may not be the most authentic Chicken Tikka Masala you’ve had, but it’s the one you can make on a typical Tuesday night. Besides what I’ve laid out here, all you’d need to upgrade this to a full Indian-themed dinner party would be a package of Naan bread and supplies to make mango smoothies for dessert (frozen mango, honey yogurt…) Delish!

Here’s the basic framework:

• Main dish: Chicken Tikka Masala
• Sides: Spiced Rice, Roasted Veggie (such as Delicata Squash)
• Topping: Cucumber Yogurt salad

Here’s another secret: Advance prep! if you can knock a few of these steps out early in the day, dinner will be on the table more efficiently once you get cooking:

• Measure spices for Chicken Tikka Masala and Spiced Rice.
• Peel garlic and ginger and refrigerate.
• Rinse cilantro and roll in a clean kitchen towel to dry it well. Place in a zipper bag with paper towels and store in the fridge door until ready to chop.
• Prep veggies to roast and for salad; refrigerate.
• Gather pantry staples so they’re near at hand (rice, canned goods).

Chicken Tikka Masala
(Serves 6-8)

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken – thighs or breasts
• 1 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• Salt and pepper

• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2-inch chunk ginger, grated
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 c almond butter (or almond meal/flour)
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 5 oz can coconut milk (or use 1/2 cup sour cream, heavy cream, or yogurt)
• 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste, and fresh-ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
• Optional add-ins: 15 oz can garbanzo beans or 1/2 lb frozen peas
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus a handful of leaves for garnish

Use a heavy-bottomed skillet or saute pan with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. It’s a good idea to have a splatter screen handy too. Put the ghee or oil in the pan and set it over low heat while you prep the chicken: pat it dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper, and sprinkle on a light dusting of garam masala.

Raise the heat to medium-high, look for the oil to start shimmering, and lay the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer. Get the splatter screen on there as soon as you can! Set a timer for 2 minutes and let the chicken sizzle without moving it. When the timer goes off, take the splatter screen off, use tongs to flip the chicken, and put the lid on the pan. Turn the heat to low, and set the timer for 10 minutes. Then, leave it alone! No peeking. This is a good time to mince and grate your garlic and ginger, and gather and measure out the rest of the ingredients.

When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and leave the lid on! You are still not allowed to peek. If you have an electric stove, move the pan off of the burner. Set the timer for another 10 minutes. [Start your rice and get the side veggies into the oven to roast.]

When the timer goes off after the second 10 minutes, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Slice when cool enough to handle. To the liquid left in the pan, add the minced garlic and ginger, spices, and stir them in well. Add the almond butter, and turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomato sauce (If using garbanzo beans, add them now). Simmer the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened and somewhat reduced. If using dairy, measure it into a small bowl, and stir a bit of the hot mixture into it to temper it so it won’t curdle. This isn’t necessary if using coconut milk. Stir in lime/lemon juice, sliced chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and frozen peas if using. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and another squeeze of lime if desired. Stir in chopped cilantro last of all. Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro leaves.
(Note: I learned this method of cooking chicken from The Kitchn. It works like a charm!)

Spiced Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 Tbsp ghee or butter
• 8 whole cardamom pods
• 4 whole cloves
• Pinch turmeric 
• 1 tsp salt
• 3.5 cups water

Put rice in a fine metal sieve and rinse until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt ghee or butter. Add rice and cook and stir for a few minutes until moisture has evaporated and rice grains begin to look chalky white. Add spices, salt, and water, stir briefly, and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and let the rice steam for 18-20 minutes. Then, turn off the heat while you finish preparing the rest of the meal. When ready to serve, remove the whole spices (they tend to float to the top, so that makes it easy!) and stir gently.

Roasted Delicata Squash

• 3 small or 2 large delicata squashes
• 2 Tbsp melted ghee or coconut oil
• Salt

Preheat oven to 400. Slice ends off of each squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds. Slice into 1/2″ half-moons. In a large bowl, toss squash with ghee or oil. Spread out on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and roast until tender and well-browned, tossing partway through (delicatas have a lot of natural sugars to they brown quickly!). So pretty, so delicious.

Cucumber and Yogurt Salad

• One large or 2 small cucumbers, diced
• Other veggies (optional) such as diced radishes, sliced green onions, diced red bell pepper
• 1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine veggies in a medium bowl. Stir in enough yogurt to coat the veggies well. Add salt and pepper to taste.