Chicken Tikka Masala hold the Naan

One of my millions of favorite things about living in Monterey once upon a time was going to the Farmers Market every Tuesday and getting Chicken Tikka Masala from a local vendor. While our love for it started in the form of a naan (straight from the tandoor) wrap, the chicken and sauce alone seemed to taste even more delicious after our primal switch. The other day I felt the need to somehow replicate this dish and while it could never rival the original, it transported us back to the farmers market and was devoured by the whole family (even my usually-suspect-of-anything-spicy seven year old!). I paired it with riced cauliflower to soak up the yummy extra sauce and steamed broccoli for extra color. Another great plus is that this meal took me from chicken that still needed to be thawed at 445pm to dinner on the table by 6!

Bring me back to Monterey Chicken Tikka Masala

3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
1-2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into desired sizes
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp minced garlic
1-1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1  6oz can full fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter in large skillet. Add chicken, onions, and lemon juice. Cook and stir until chicken is near done. Add the spices and stir for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and stir. Mix the arrowroot powder and salt into the coconut milk and slowly add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking. Serve with cauliflower rice!

For the cauliflower rice: Clean and chop one large head of cauliflower, pulse in food processor until a rice like consistency is achieved. Melt 2Tbsp butter in sauce pan, add riced cauliflower, salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth or coconut milk and any other spices you might like. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. This time I used coconut milk, 1 tsp or so of curry powder, and then used the same stirring spoon from the chicken dish so some of the flavors would transfer to the “rice.”

Enjoy,

Heather

Tags: cauliflower rice, chicken tikka masala, paleo chicken tikka masala, paleo indian dishes, primal chicken tikka masala, primal indian recipes