What Is Butter Chicken?
Butter chicken is prepared with marinated chicken that's first grilled and then served in a rich gravy (a.k.a. curry) made with tomato, butter, and a special spice blend as a base.
Unlike most Indian curries where the preparation of the base starts with a blend of onion and a ginger garlic paste cooked in oil, butter chicken uses tomato as a base and is cooked in butter, giving it a slightly sweet flavor. Cashews and almonds add to the sweetness and richness of the dish.
The History of Butter Chicken.
The roots of butter chicken are only as recent as the 1950s, when it was developed accidentally by the chef of famous restaurant Moti Mahal in Delhi, the capital of India. For chef Kundan Lal Gujral, it was a common practice to throw in butter, tomatoes, and leftover tandoori chicken into a pot to make use of the leftovers.
Little did he know that this dish would become their best seller and put them on the map. Now the recipe is adapted by restaurants across the world, though it's really a “special occasion” dish in Indian home
Indian Butter Chicken
PREP TIME
30 mins
COOK TIME
30 mins
TOTAL TIME
60 mins
NOTE : If you have trouble finding the spices, you can substitute paprika for the Kashmiri Lal Mirch and skip the Kasuri Methi.
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into roughly 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup full-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Kashmiri Lal Mirch
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste
For the sauce:
8 to 10 whole almonds
8 to 10 whole cashews
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground Kashmiri Lal Mirch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon Kasuri Methi
Method :
1 : Marinate the chicken:
Bring the chicken and the rest of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Using your hands, massage the marinade into the chicken.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
2 : Soak cashews and almonds:
Soak cashews and almonds in water for at least an hour to (or up to overnight) before preparing the rest of the recipe.
3 : Cook the chicken:
Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil to the pan.
Working in batches, remove chicken from the marinade and grill them on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through (clear juice runs out of it when you cut into it). Do not crowd the pan.
Once cooked, transfer the chicken into a separate dish. Cover and set aside for later.
4 : Start making the sauce:
Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium sized Dutch oven or a skillet on medium low heat. As soon as the butter melts, add the ginger garlic paste followed by sugar. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the tomato and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on medium high heat, until all the extra liquid is cooked off. The sauce should be a loose, paste-like consistency.
Add coriander, garam masala, Kashmiri Lal Mirch, and salt. Stir and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
5 : Puree the sauce with the nuts:
Transfer the paste to a blender or the bowl of a food processor. Add the soaked cashews and almonds. Blend into a smooth paste.
6 : Finish the dish:
Return the paste to the cooking pan over medium heat. Add the water to the paste and stir to make a smooth sauce.
As the sauce begins to boil, add the grilled chicken and heavy cream. Stir well. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
7: Rest the butter chicken:
Turn off the heat and uncover the pan. Stir in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and the kasuri methi. Cover again, and let the dish rest for 8 to 10 minutes so the flavor of kasuri methi can marry into the butter chicken.
8 : Serve:
Serve the butter with a side of steamed basmati rice, roti, or naan. Leftovers will keep refrigerated, covered, for five days.
You can freeze this dish in an airtight covered container or a zip-top bag for a month. Thaw and reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat to retain the texture.
indian butter chicken recipe
authentic butter chicken recipe
indian butter chicken recipe
butter chicken recipe ingredients
butter chicken recipe easy
0 Comments