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Butter Chicken, Anyone?

by: Meenakshi

Butter Chicken, Ahh! my mouth is watering already, and guess same is with you. The dish originated in the North Indian State named Punjab, the place where you get a variety of chicken dishes but the "must-try" is the Butter Chicken. Small pieces / chunks of bonelesschicken cooked mildly spiced thick, red and smooth gravy is what Butter Chicken is.

Known for its fiery red color the dish is not considered spicy on the contrary most places serve it slightly on the sweeter side but can be made hot as well. Murg Makhani is a dish that has wonderful flavor and a rich creamy texture. If you haven't already, you will surely fall in love with it!

When served it is usually garnished with fresh coriander leaves, a spoon full of fresh creme and a cube or two of butter.

It is a dish made by marinating a chicken overnight in a yoghurt and spice mixture usually including garam masala, ginger, lemon or lime, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, methi and garlic. While the Makhani sauce is made from butter, tomatoes, almonds and various spices, often including cumin, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, pepper, fenugreek and sometimes cream. Once the sauce is prepared, the marinated and roasted chicken is chopped and added to it.

Image credit: http://assets3.indiamarks.com/images/guide/extra_large_image171.jpg?1235459886

Ingredients:

1 kg boneless chicken skin removed

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)

6 cloves

8-10 peppercorns

1" stick of cinnamon

2 bay leaves

8-10 almonds

Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom

1 cup fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)

3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil

2 onions chopped

2 tsps garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

2 tsps coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 can (400g or 14 oz) of tomato paste

1/2 litre chicken stock

2 tbsps kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

3 tbsps unmelted, soft butter

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves to garnish

Directions:

Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a large, non-metallic bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.

Heat a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds. Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.

Mix the yoghurt, above whole spice powder (from previous step), coriander, cumin and turmeric powders together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.

Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry till a pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.