cook: easy chicken and vegetable tikka masala and turmeric rice

I had chicken thighs, basmati rice, produce from the garden and Second Harvest at school as well as ghee and a simmer sauce from Trader Joe's. I chopped zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, a few green and purple beans, onion and a jalapeno pepper. I cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and dry rubbed with onion powder, garlic powder, Madras curry powder, and Garam Masala. I chopped scallions and cilantro for garnishing later.

While Patrick was feeding the dog, I started on the rice. A cup of basmati rice, a pat of butter, and sprinklings of ground turmeric before boiling all in a cup of chicken broth and a cup of water. 

With the simmer sauce already done, i.e., instant, this meal happens fast. And so we walked the dog after which I told Patrick to tell me when he was ready to eat because dinner would only take 15 minutes. Time to cook! I sautéed the chicken and onions and carrots in the ghee for 10 minutes and then added the rest of the vegetables to simmer for 4 minutes.     

I did have to add a bit of veggie and bone broth. Had I cooked this from scratch, I would have used buttermilk or yogurt and some chopped fresh tomatoes to make the tikka masala sauce.

And lastly the sprinkling of green.

Patrick said the curry needed more spice and heat. Well okay then! Tonight's eggplant, pork and tofu braise will definitely include more serrano and habanero peppers.