First time making indian food....the best!!

So why on a post about Indian food do I have picture of my wet, sandy border collie, Khloe? Because this is the last picture my camera will ever take. She managed to run and then proceeded to stand over my camera while drenching it with water and sand...in the end destroying it. So instead of a beautiful picture of a reddish orange sauce with pieces of barbecued chicken, over a bed of rice, you get to see the destroyer lol! But onto the recipe!

I have never made or eaten Indian food, but in my fascination with London, I found that Indian is the most popular food, and even more so this dish, Chicken Tikka Masala. I quickly found a recipe and decided to mix things up one night. So tonight I mix ingredients together that I never thought would mesh-cinnamon and lemon and jalapeno anyone? But through some cooking miracle this dish came out to be one of the most delicious things I've ever made! My husband even ate 3 helpings, and put 5 stars next to it on my meal list!

Chicken Tikka Masala

courtesy of Yakuta

1 c. plain yogurt

1 T. lemon juice

2 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground cinnamon

2 t. cayenne pepper

2 t. black pepper

1 T. freshly ground ginger (I didn't have any and used 1 tsp. ground ginger)

4 t. salt

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 long skewers

1 T. butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, finally chopped (I did 1/2 large jalapeno)

2 t. ground cumin

2 t. paprika

3 t. salt, or to taste

1- 8oz can of tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped.

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons of salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill chicken until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Melt butter in large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and three teaspoons of salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens about 20 minutes.

Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer onto a bed of rice and garnish with fresh cilantro!

Tips: Cutting the chicken into bite sized pieces is much easier when the chicken is still partly frozen. Also if you are using wood skewers you will need more than 4, and make sure to soak them in water for atleast 15 minutes before putting your meat on them to help prevent them from burning. The only adjustment I made was 1/2 less jalapeno, because I didn't want it to be too spicy. This was actually perfect for me, but if you like some good kick feel free to put in the whole pepper.