Chicken Tikka Masala

Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture sticks to chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. Mix yogurt, vegetable oil, garlic and ginger. Set aside. During this time you can fire up the grill and get it hot and start work on the Masala sauce. Make sure you clean and oil your grill racks.

In a large pot, or Dutch oven heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onions, stirring frequently, and cook until onions are light brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeno pepper, tomato paste, and garam masala spices; cook, stirring frequently until fragrant which will be about 3 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, sugar and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Half-n-Half, return to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not burn mixture. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Once grill is hot, dip chicken pieces in yogurt mixture. Chicken should be coated with a thick layer of yogurt. Place chicken pieces on grill and cook until chicken is done, about 10-12 minutes. Discard left over yogurt mixture. Remove chicken from grill and let cool slightly. Chop chicken into 1” pieces.

Add cilantro to warm masala sauce and mix well. Add chicken pieces to sauce and mix lightly. Do not simmer chicken in sauce. To serve, spoon chicken and masala sauce over basmati rice.