Chicken Tikka Masala with Cardamom Basmati Rice

This recipe is from Dave Leiberman's new cookbook Dave's Dinners: A Fresh Approach to Home Cooking. This dish is unbelievable. The flavor was amazing, and there was just the right amount of spice; it was enough to leave my lips tingling without leaving my throat in pain. Please note that this dish will make your house or apartment smell like curry for 2 days, so try not to sell it in that time. Also please note that you shouldn't try to kiss your significant other for 2 days, as your breath is likely to set things on fire.

There was one part of this recipe that just didn't work for me: the cardamom pods. I used whole pods like Dave suggested, but biting down on a whole pod was one of the most foul tasting things. It's like eatign a whole piece of ginger that has been sitting out on the counter for 2 days. Very bitter and very nasty. My suggestion is to nix the cardamom pods and use a 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom.

- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup plain white yogurt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated
- 1 Tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp. ground cayenne pepper
- 3 Tsp. paprika
- 10 cardamom pods, cracked lightly
- 2 TBSP honey
- 1.5 Tsp. salt
- 20 grinds fresh black pepper
- 3 TBSP butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 TBSP curry powder
- 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream

For the rice
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups water
- 8-10 whole cardamom pods
- pinch of salt
- 2 TBSP butter

Cut the raw chicken into cubes. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, paprika, cardamom, honey, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and mix thoroughly. Cover and let marinate for 1 hour or up to overnight.

Make the rice: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water, salt, and cardamom and bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 16-20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until transluscent. Stir in the curry powder and tomato paste and mix well. Add the cream to the mixture and stir until smooth and the color is uniform. Slide in the chicken and all of the marinade, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the mixture has thickened.

Serve over the rice.