Butter chicken (or
murgh makhani) is part of Indian cuisine,
popular in countries all over the world. The origins of butter chicken
can be traced back to New Delhi. Butter chicken is regarded to have been
first introduced by Moti Mahal, Daryaganj . Butter chicken is usually
served with naan, roti, parathas, roomali roti or steamed rice
.
Ingredients:
- Boneless chicken skin removed - 1 kg
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Cloves - 6
- Peppercorns - 8 to 10
- Stick of cinnamon - 1 inch
- Bay leaves- 2
- Almonds 8 to 10
- Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom
- Fresh yoghurt- 1 cup
- Cooking oil - 3 tbsps
- Onions - 2chopped
- Garlic paste - 2 tsps
- Ginger paste - 1 tsp
- Coriander powder - 2 tsps
- Cumin powder - 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
- Tomatoes, ground into a smooth paste in a food processor - 5 to 6
- Chicken stock - 1/2 litre
- Kasuri methi - 2 tbsps
- Soft butter - 3 tbsps
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Method:
- 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.
- Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till
sealed (chicken will turn opaque and the flesh will go from pink to
whitish in color).
- Now add the tomato paste, chicken stock, kasuri methi and remaining part of the yogurt-spice mix to the chicken.
- Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
- Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the chicken.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Naan and Kaali Daal.
- For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour:
When the Butter Chicken is cooked, make a small bowl shape with
aluminum foil and place it on top of the curry ('floating' on it). Heat a
briquette of charcoal on an open flame till red hot and gently put the
charcoal in to the aluminum foil bowl. Cover the dish immediately.
Remove the cover just before serving, discard the foil bowl and charcoal
and serve. The curry will be infused with a smokey flavor!