Chicken tikka masala Enchiladas!
Sounds amazing right 😃 Hubby cooked a delicious meal on my birthday. It was not just outstanding but equally scrumptious meal. At 12 in the noon he took a plunge in the kitchen and surprised us with these delicious enchiladas I had never had. Totally in awe with the food and love him even more. 
Ingredients - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ cup + 4tbsp tikka masala paste
- 3 cups milk
- ½ cup cream
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp cooking fat
- 1½ cup shredded cheese
- 12 tortillas*
cotija cheese for garnish
chopped cilantro for garnish
FOR THE TIKKA MASALA PASTE:
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 3 tbsp garam masaala (recipe follows)
- 3” knob ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 onions, peeled and quartered (I used one red and one white)
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup, roughly chopped cilantro
- ½ cup mint, roughly chopped
- juice of 1 lemon and zest
- ½ cup unsalted almonds
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder
FOR THE MASALA SAUCE:
- ⅔ to 1 cup tikka masala paste (less paste to keep it more mild)
- 3 cups milk
- ½ cup cream - 8 oz tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp cooking fat such as coconut oil/ghee/vegetable oil
FOR GARAM MASALA:
- 2 tbsp coriander
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tsp whole cloves
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp green cardamom pods
- 2-3 black cardamom pods

Instructions
MAKE THE GARAM MASALA. In a dry pan, over high heat, toast all the spices for the garam masala until fragrant, 2-3 minutes tossing occasionally to prevent burning. Please in a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 year.
TOAST THE ALMONDS AND COCONUT. In the same dry pan, toast the almonds and coconut until the coconut becomes golden brown and releases a nutty fragrance. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
PUREE ALL TIKKA MASALA INGREDIENTS. Place the toasted almonds, coconut, and all remaining ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a mostly smooth paste. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three weeks and in the freezer for up to six months.

MAKE THE MASALA SAUCE: Heat cooking fat in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once fat is heated, add ⅔ to a full cup of the tikka masala paste, depending on your spice preference. Saute until the paste is fully cooked and begins to separate from the fat, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk and cream, or coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 
PREHEAT OVEN to 375 degrees.
MARINATE THE CHICKEN. Combine 4 tbsp of tikka masala paste with chicken. Coat well. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
MAKE THE TIKKA MASALA SAUCE. In a large saucepan, heat cooking fat over medium heat. Add remaining tikka masala paste and stir for 3-4 minutes, until masala starts to turn a nutty brown. Add tomato sauce. Stir to mix into masala paste. Slowly add in milk and cream. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the marinated chicken, cover and cook for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked completely, until juices run clear. Remove chicken from masala sauce and shred with two forks while chicken is still very hot.

MAKE THE FILLING. In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken with ½ to ¾ cup of the tikka masala sauce and 1 cup of cheese. Add enough liquid to moisten the chicken and you may need more or less, depending on how shredded chicken you have.
HEAT THE TORTILLAS. In a dry frying pan, heat the tortillas, one tortilla at a time. Heat each side for 15-20 seconds, just until they become pliable. Wrap the tortillas in a clean towel to keep warm while assembling the enchiladas.
ASSEMBLE THE ENCHILADAS. In a greased 9X13 baking dish, spread 1 cup of the unused tikka masala. Taking one tortilla out at a time from the towel, using a pair of tongs, dip into the remaining masala sauce, just enough to lightly coat the tortillas on each side. Fill with a heaping tablespoon of the chicken and cheese mixture. Roll and place into the pan, seam side down. Continue doing this for all the tortillas.** Top the enchiladas with any remaining masala sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
BAKE covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 3-5 minutes, until the cheese melts.
GARNISH with cotija cheese and fresh cilantro if desired. Serve enchiladas warm !