DIY Indian Food

I have to admit, I was skeptical of this recipe but I decided to make it anyway.  I didn't think that Indian food that I made at home could taste at all authentic and sometimes my husband isn't a big fan of my crockpot chicken recipes.  BUT . . . this was awesome!  Chicken Tikka Masala is probably my favorite dish to order at an Indian restaurant and I absolutely loved how this turned out.  One of the differences from how it's served in a restaurant is that I shredded the chicken in the sauce but it was super tender and flavorful with a little kick of spice. If you don't want to shred it, cut the chicken breasts into chunks first, reduce the cooking time and skip the shredding step.  We ate it over basmati rice with garlic naan (thank you TJs).  The big girls ate it, the baby loved it and the leftovers were still delicious.  That's a success in my book!

Chicken Tikka Masala (serves 4)

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
14 oz can of tomato sauce
3/4 c. plain yogurt
1 T olive oil
1 T garam masala
1/2 T cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-3 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
bay leaf
1/2 c. half and half
1.5 T cornstarch

 Place the first 12 ingredients (garlic through cayenne) in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Add the chicken breasts and stir to coat.  Pour it all in to the crockpot and add the bay leaf.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Before serving, pull the chicken out and shred it.  Then, whisk together the half and half and cornstarch and gently stir.  Let it cook an additional 15-20 minutes to thicken.  Serve over a bed of basmati rice.