My husband and I are coming up on our six year anniversary. It’s been a whirlwind for us. In the last six years we have moved to two different states, had three boys, and daily attempt to navigate our family through two cultures. I’m a Whitey from the Pacific Northwest and my husband is an East Indian from Chicago.
We have a few things that make up our foundation and helps to hold us together. Two of those things are our love of food and family. This is one of the things I love about Indian culture. It’s all about both of those things!
My husband and I love sharing Indian dishes with my side of the family. It’s a simple way we can teach them about a culture other than their own.
The first dish we showed my family was Chicken Tikka Masala. I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t like this dish! It’s incredibly easy to make. It just takes a little love and a few hours in the kitchen. When my family tried it, we took it a step further and taught them how to eat with their hands!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of diced chicken breasts
- 2 small cans of tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2-3 tbs olive oil or ghee
- 1 Shan chicken tikka bbq packet
- 1 tbs methi leaves
- 1-2 tsp chili powder
- 1-2 cups of plain yogurt
- 1/2 quart heavy whipping cream
- optional- extra yogurt, basmati rice, naan
Directions:
- Dice up the chicken and combine it with the Shan mix and yogurt in a bowl. Marinate it for 3 hours or overnight.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Put your chicken on a deep cookie sheet and bake it until your chicken is cooked through.
- Heat a pan on medium low heat. Add in the olive oil and diced garlic. After about 5 minutes, add in the tomato paste, methi leaves, and chili powder. Cook for about 10 minutes.
- Slowly add in the heavy cream, while stirring. Turn the sauce to the lowest setting. When the chicken is done, add it to your sauce.
A little family secret, just for you. You can add the extra liquid on the cookie sheet to the sauce and chicken mixture or keep it in a small bowl for people that like the heat to add to their dish. We call it “man sauce” in our house.
Serve this with rice and or naan.
Brittany Muddamalle is the mother of three boys under four years old. She has been in an intercultural marriage for six years. Her and her husband are currently raising their children in American and East Indian culture. She is also the writer of The Almost Indian Wife blog. Her hope is to make a change by sharing her experiences with her own intercultural marriage and raising biracial children.
Check out her blog: The Almost Indian Wife Facebook Twitter Google+