First, I want to thank those who left encouraging notes yesterday. Though I’m still struggling with how I feel about some aspects of my social media accounts, I’ve decided that trying to do more for others might add more balance to the psyche. I’m already thinking of some ways I might do this and am looking forward to carrying them out (and not documenting them, GASP!).

Anyway continuing in the vein of it not being about me, I’ve got some homework for YOU this weekend. There is a tikka masala recipe that is so unbelievably good and boasts to be just 5 ingredients. The catch is that one of the ingredients is a masala paste that you are supposed to make beforehand that has a bunch of ingredients, mostly spices, that you toss into a food processor. When you’re trying to pull a quick dinner together, the paste recipe is overwhelming and you always wish you had done it previously and end up just chucking the recipe and making an old standby. However, if you make the paste this weekend, you can throw it in the freezer and it’s ready to add to those 4 other ingredients and an incredible dinner is ready in 30 minutes. When you make the paste, it makes a lot and since you only need 1/4 cup for the recipe, you keep it in the freezer in between makings and you are able to whip up quick tikka masala for about 7 to 9 different dinners.

If you have food restrictions and are wondering if the rest of the ingredients for the tikka masala are on your list before you make the paste, here they are: plain yogurt, a can of coconut milk, tomato puree and something to be in the sauce (chicken or cauliflower or broccoli or tofu or chickpeas, for example). You can serve it over whole grains or rice or naan.

Do your future self a favor and make this paste this weekend. I will give you the rest of the recipe in the next day or two so you don’t have the option to get overwhelmed.

The recipe is from pinchofyum.com

Masala Paste

2 onions

5 cloves of garlic

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled (if you’ve never peeled fresh ginger before, do a google search of peeling ginger with a spoon. It will blow your mind and makes ginger peeling so easy and approachable!)

3 tbs garam masala

1 tbs chili powder

1 tbs turmeric

1 tbs cumin

1.5 tsp ground clove

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

a small pile of cilantro stems

a fistful of almonds

juice of one lemon

Throw everything in a food processor and pulse until mostly smooth. Put it in a jar and if using in the next day or two, leave in the refrigerator. If not using it then, place it in the freezer.

I made this so long ago that I can’t remember if I cut back on any of the heat spices. When I use it to make the dinner, the tikka masala is not spicy at all but If you’re worried abut heat, you can do less of the chili powder but remember it will be distributed throughout 8 or so dinners. Think of it as a concentrate.