Chicken Tikka Masala

Indian food is another type of food I learned about and became addicted to through work. My friends from work and I used to always go to this Indian restaurant where I would order the Chicken Tikka Masala. I never got a chance to eat Indian food outside of work, because my husband says "curry" doesn't always "agree" with him. So I was limited to eating Indian food while at work or at functions my good friend, Kiran, would invite me to. Kiran and her mom were kind enough to teach me this recipe, and when I had my husband try it, he became an instant fan of Indian food. Surprisingly, this dish isn't really a "curry" and was really simple to make. Thanks to my friend, I'm able to eat Indian food anytime I feel like it :) Thanks for this recipe Kiran and mom! And thanks for supplying me with some of the spices for this dish!

1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken (cut into cubes)
1 small onion, chopped
3 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (more if you like it super spicy)
2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garam masala
heavy cream

1) Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and cumin seeds. Cook until onions start to brown. Add garlic and ginger and cook for about a minute. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce and salt. Cook tomatoes through.

2) Stir in chicken. Add red pepper flakes, turmeric, and paprika. Simmer until chicken is done (about 10 minutes).

3) Add garam masala and a splash of heavy cream and cook for another minute to incorporate the flavor. Serve with basmati rice and naan or rotti.