Paleo Chicken Tikka Masala

Typical weekends often include me experimenting with a new recipe - or just trying something new. In the past two weeks though, my cooking curiosities have been eclipsed by wool rug braiding. I have spent hours and hours planning out a rug, getting wool, examining rug patterns, etc. Everything was finally assembled this weekend (in order to begin the braiding), and I found myself generating some interest in something other than rug making. The object of that interest is Chicken Tikka Masala - a recipe I bookmarked in Bon Appetit at least a month or two ago. (The rug braiding may continue to trump cooking over the next several weeks, depending on how things go...we'll see!)

I substituted coconut milk products for the cream/yogurt, and it turned out delicious, especially atop some cauliflower rice with cilantro. It's a rich, creamy dish that seems filling and warm on these cold days. Plus, I am always a fan of something that makes good leftovers. Yum.

Paleo Chicken Tikka Masala (adapted from Bon Appetit) 
4 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
2 T minced onion (or garlic)
4 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala 
2 teaspoons ground coriander 
2 teaspoons ground cumin 
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 T lemon juice
1 tablespoon kosher salt 
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons ghee
1 small onion, thinly sliced 
1/4 cup tomato paste 
1 tsp ground cardamom  
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (or equal amt frozen ones)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk 
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
fresh lemon juice to taste 

Marinating Chicken

1. Combine onion/garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk coconut milk, lemon juice, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture. 
2. Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chile pepper and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes. 
4. Add coconut milk and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Bon Appetit suggests 30-40 minutes - but I did about 20 with good results.
5. Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet (I did not have this, so just used a baking tray). Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes. (I flipped them to get both sides due to lack of wire rack!) *I also added extra marinating sauce to the larger pot - I didn't want to waste any of that goodness!

6. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, add to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. 

Serve with cauliflower rice with some cilantro. I made my cauliflower rice by finely chopping 1/2 an onion that I sauteed in ghee in a large skillet. After the onion was translucent, I added cauliflower that I had pulsed in a food processor until it was rice/couscous consistency. I cooked them together for another 5-8 minutes, stirring a bit. I added some chopped cilantro before serving. The cauliflower rice was perfect to absorb all that amazing sauce! Yum.