Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is one of those popular dishes that has evolved over time. It’s one Indian cuisine recognized all over the world.

This recipe is no quick cheat method for your butter chicken. Though it does contain few not so authentic ingredients like ketchup, it tastes amazing and spot on perfect.

The first step is to make the tandoori chicken and the second step is to prepare the thick silky sauce.

If you want to cut down your calories and still want a yummy butter chicken, cut off the cashewnuts and cream thickener. Only yoghurt will work too.

An authentic recipe calls for more tomatoes, but since the tomatoes I use were on the sour side, I used a tbsp of tomato paste and tomato ketchup which gives a subtle sweetness.

This recipe serves 4 people and each serving gives 580 calories approximately.

Here is what you’ll need:

2 chicken breasts

1 large onion

1 large tomato

3 red chillies

1 bay leaf (Tej Patta)

1 cinnamon stick (Dalchini)

3 cardamoms (Elaichi)

3 cloves (Lavang)

½ tsp cumin seeds (Jeera)

½ tsp coriander seeds (Dhaniya Seeds)

5 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp ketchup

7-8 cashew nut (4-5)

2 tbsp fresh cream (optional)

2 tbsp yoghurt

1 tbsp kasuri methi

2 tbsp melted butter

For marination:

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Salt as per taste

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tandoori powder

Method:

1. Clean, wash the chicken and cut it into bite size pieces.
2. Marinate the chicken in salt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and tandoori masala. Rest it for 1 hour.
3. Once the chicken is marinated, grill it in the oven for 20 minutes or till cooked. Alternatively cook it on stove top till all the moisture evaporates.
4. In a kadai, heat the butter and fry the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves along with cumin, coriander seeds and cashew nuts till fragrant.
5. Finely chop the ginger and garlic and add it to the spices along with red chili.
6. Add the sliced onions to the butter and sauté the onions on low heat till softened.
7. Once the onions sweat and reduce, add the chopped tomato and cook further for 5 minutes.
8. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder and switch off the flame.
9. Once this mixture cools downs, puree it finely into a thick paste in a grinder. Add half a cup of water if required.
10. Put this mixture back into the kadai, and mix in the tomato paste and ketchup.
11. Whip in the yoghurt and fresh cream and stir well till the sauce thickens.
12. Add the cooked chicken tandoori pieces and mix.
13. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms and add to the butter chicken.
14. Serve hot with tandoori roti or naan.

Recipe by Zohra Sada