Butter Chicken So Good!

Butter Chicken So Good!

This Indian lady Bijul “meaning lightning flash!” I once met while working a catering operation to feed a soccer team was one heck of chef from the Punjab. She came to BC with her sister and soon made a good hire with extensive Indo fare knowledge she once cooked and served up a huge number of meals daily at a large mosque Temple. Her simple approach to simple food was very well prepared and thought out right to the last ingredient. I personally liked the butter chicken she once served our staff and said she was taught by a master chef how to create the recipe from scratch using the method and ingredients that was my first true Indo recipe.

Today Butter Chicken is on numerous restaurant menus and has come a long way from just being found on Fraser Street.

Here is my rendition of this dish she taught me how to prepare and for those of you who love butter chicken this recipe is simple to prepare at home.

The first thing to do is gather the correct items listed by name and use clarified butter or Ghee to fry with. I find that the Sharwood Spices Curries and Tandoori BBq Ground Spices have all the right flavours and is a great prepared condiment product to use. If you like to roast your own spice selection the butter chicken can be made to your personal taste.

Give this recipe a whirl and enjoy a good Indo favourite.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut up into pieces or use boneless thigh meat skin removed. Frozen Chicken Breasts only if you must.

4 tasty roma tomatoes (pureed)

2 medium sized onions fine chopped

1 tbs ginger puree

1 tbs garlic puree

15 cashew nuts pureed (made into a puree using water)

2 tbs unsalted butter

¼ cup thick cream or yogurt

1 tsp cayenne chili powder or less to suit your taste

2 tbs ghee [clarified butter]

Cilantro for garnish.

Marinade

1 tbs Sharwoods Tandoori Marinade BBQ Powder

1/2 tbs Sharwoods mild curry powder [Garam Masala]

2 tbs fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp fresh ground cumin powder

1/3 cup plain unsweetened yogurt

Kosher salt to taste

Blend all the above marinade ingredients well in a bowl

Method:

Thoroughly coat the chicken in the marinade and let it rest for a minimum one hour.

Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan and blanch fry the chicken on all sides till slightly browned.

Remove the chicken pieces and keep to the side.

In the remaining oil, on low heat fry the chopped onions till golden and then add ginger-garlic puree and continue to fry sprinkling some water now and then till the oil separates. Now add the cashew nut paste, chili powder, tomato puree and stir and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the butter, cream and chicken. Mix well and cook until it is done about 30 minutes.

Garnish with fresh cilantro leaf and side with some basmati rice, steamed saag [spinach] and Nan bread.

Enjoy!