Butter Chicken

And winter has arrived in New York City, we are projecting low temperatures and high winds, just the thing to make one not go out.

Whilst the local Indian Restaurant does provide an EXCELLENT meal, it does have the disadvantage that one must venture out into the cold. Perhaps I’ll spend the 30 to 45 minutes in my kitchen and make my own.

From wikipedia:

Butter chicken or murgh makhani is a dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, of chicken in a mildly spiced tomato sauce.

The dish has its roots in Moti Mahal Daryaganj. It was developed by three Indians, Kundan Lal Jaggi, Kundan Lal Gujral and Thakur Dass all Punjabi Hindu restaurateurs who were the founders of Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, India.

The dish was created by the three partners at their restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s. The dish was made “By Chance” by mixing the leftover chicken in a tomato gravy, rich in butter and cream.

In Australia and New Zealand, it is also a common pie filling.

Whilst this recipe is not “authentic”, it is quick, hearty, comfort food.

I’ll use my basic curry sauce, to finish some browned boneless chicken thighs and serve with rice and naan. Perhaps as I am in city today, I’ll pop by Kalustyan’s and pick up some spices, but you probably have everything in your pantry already.

Yes, I know, butter chicken uses chicken breast. But white meat can be sooo dry and flavorless, I’ll go with dark meat with it’s texture, juiciness and flavor.

Butter Chicken

Basic disclaimer. This is NOT YOUR INDIAN GRANDMOTHERS BUTTER CHICKEN. She spends many hours, with many steps, with spices I can only find at Kalustyan's. I'm opting for quick, easy, fast and tasty!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 lb Chicken Thighs Boneless, Skinless, chopped to 1" chunks
• 1 ea Large Sweet Onion Peeled, Diced
• 3 cups Basic Curry Sauce Enough to Cover,
• 1 tbsp Garam Marsala
• Salt and Pepper To Taste
• 6 tbsp Butter Divided

Instructions

 

• Toss chicken in Garam Marsala, Rest in fridge for 30 minutes. Optionally one can include a cup of plain yogurt with the chicken and spices
• Using 2 Tbsp of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, brown the pieces of the chicken so each side is browned. Work in batches, and set aside.
• Melt another 2 Tbsp of butter in the pan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until they take a good bit of color. The caramelization of the onion is key to the taste. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet to include the fond from the chicken.
• Add the curry sauce, and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add chicken.
• Simmer for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Optionally for a richer, creamier sauce one can add a bit of heavy cream here, temper that in gradually to avoid curdling.
• Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Notes

I'll serve over basmati rice, with naan to the side.

Perhaps, I'll pass along with some sliced onion, cucumber, lettuce and a couple of whole small peppers.

One wonders, if I could do some potatoes similar to my easy home fries , along with some pan fried mushrooms and bell peppers thence simmer shortly to generate a vegetarian dish...

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!