Northern California has been experiencing some wild atmospheric weather conditions: rain, high winds, and definitely chilly, chill, chill! Everyone at the urban farm and garden is cozy -- hens warm in the coop, bees in the hive -- so the only thing left is for us humans to get cozy. One of my favorite foods to make is coconut curry and to honor this for a cozy evening meal, I prepared a Murgh Makhani, also known as Butter Chicken. To keep things simple, I served it with basmati rice perfumed with cumin and cardamom to change it up a bit.
What I love about this dish is you can prep it in the morning and just do the finishing touches before meal time. You can also make a ton of this delectable sauce and freeze it so you have on hand any time. Trust me, you will want to make extra sauce as it packs a lot of flavor (and heat!) that will please your tastebuds and warm your soul.
Most folks are familiar with Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken is very similar and can be found on the menu at most Indian restaurants around the world. The chicken is tender, packed with flavor and nestled into a delicious, creamy curry sauce that will have you swooning for more!
So, you jumped ahead to the ingredients list because you are wondering just how much butter is in this dish...and yes you read correctly, there is only 1-2 tablespoons! What give this dish is creaminess is the cream and cooking/reduction of the onions, spices, and tomatoes.
So why is it called Butter Chicken!? The recipe originated from Northern India in 1948. Prepared in a buttery gravy with the addition of cream gives the curry sauce a silky smooth rich texture. Most restaurants are known to add large amounts of butter, however, this recipe has been adapted to use Ghee (clarified butter, or you can use a combination of half regular butter and half oil). Adding cream at the end provides richness you want in this dish. Don't worry, just because we have modified the recipe, you won't be compromising on any flavor!
Better yet -- this Butter Chicken is ridiculously easy to make!
Side note: this dish packs some heat--simply adjust the amount of chili powder to your heat level.
Ok -- prepare to have your kitchen smelling sooooooo good! Let's get cooking!
Here's what you will need:
For the chicken marinade:
28 oz (800g) Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, 1-2"
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced Garlic
1 tablespoon minced Ginger (or finely grated)
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 teaspoon of Salt
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Ghee (or 1 tbs Butter + 1 tbs Olive Oil)
1 large Onion, sliced or chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Ginger, minced or finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoons ground Cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1 teaspoon ground Coriander
14 oz (400 g) crushed Tomatoes
1/2-1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder (adjust to your taste preference)
1 1/4 teaspoons Salt (or to taste)
1 cup of Heavy Cream (or Evaporated Milk to save calories)
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kasoori Methi (or dried Fenugreek Leaves)--optional
Other:
chopped Cilantro (to garnish)
Let's marinate the chicken:
In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight in the refrigerator if time allows).
When you are ready to cook:
Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in small batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
Heat butter or ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream, sugar and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh and serve with Basmati Rice, Naan, or Cumin/Cardamom Rice (recipe below).
NOTES:
To thin out the sauce, add a couple tablespoons of ghee or butter at the end of cooking, and gently simmer it through. Alternatively, add a small amount of water.
Make-ahead sauce: the beauty of this sauce is that you can prepare it ahead of time if you want or need to. Allow it to cool completely, store it in an airtight glass jar or container and refrigerate for up to 48 hours, or freeze for up to 3 months.
The trick to making any great curry sauce is twofold: (1) You might think the onions are overcooked, but you want to take the onions to a pretty dark brown to almost black, (2) let the tomatoes cook off for at least 10-15 minutes, until they are almost dry on your pan. If you feel it is too dry, you can add in a couple tablespoons of water. The tomatoes will transform into a very deep red color.
You can use evaporated milk or half and half for a lower calorie option.
IIf you want a richer sauce, add a couple tablespoons of butter (or ghee) right at the end, letting it melt though the sauce, before serving.
Cumin/Cardamom Rice:
1 cup Basmati Rice
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 to 2 tsp whole Cardamom pods
1 1/2 to 2 cups Water or Stock
Method:
Rinse the rice under cold water to remove any surface starch, if desired. Soak the rice in about twice the amount of water for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Drain rice and place rice, salt, spices and liquid into a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once the liquid comes to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Let cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You can also place all of the ingredients into a rice cooker.
Once done, remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 10 to 30 minutes. Remove cardamom pods and gently fluff with a fork before serving.
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