This recipe landed Pooja Rao on Masterchef Canada. So of course! We wanted it!
A classic staple of Indian cuisine, butter chicken is one of the most well known Indian dishes around the world. The sweetness of the tomatoes along with the pleasant tang from the yogurt-marinated chicken balances out the richness from the butter and cream. Butter chicken is one of my favourite dishes and it’s my recipe for this dish that got me on MasterChef Canada. This recipe is a little time consuming but it’s worth it.
Ingredients
Chicken
1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 heaping teaspoons ginger and garlic paste, divided
2 teaspoons tandoori masala
Red chili powder, to taste
Salt, to taste
Curry
1 cup heavy whipping cream, or to taste
3 large tomatoes, pureed
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dried methi leaves (kasoori methi)
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon sugar
3 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
2 green cardamom
1 large cardamom
1 bay leaf
Cinnamon stick, 1-inch piece
Green chili, finely chopped, to taste
Method
Chicken
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, wash it and dry it. In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, half the ginger and garlic paste (2 tablespoons), the tandoori masala, red chili powder, salt and yogurt. Marinate the mixture in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours, but overnight for best results. Grease a broiler dish with oil or cooking spray and place the chicken in a single layer. Broil on high for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, keeping an eye on it because ovens vary.
Curry
In a medium-sized pan on medium heat, melt and heat the butter. Once hot, add the cardamoms, the bay leaf and the cinnamon stick and fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the ginger and garlic paste and fry for about 30 seconds. Add the green chilies and the tomato puree and mix well. Add the salt, red chili powder and garam masala and mix well. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then lower the heat and let the gravy simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the juice from the tomatoes has evaporated. Add the sugar and the dried methi leaves and allow it to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and mix well until the chicken is coated. Add the whipping cream, mix and allow it all to come to a boil and then lower the heat. At this point, do a taste test and adjust the salt, sugar and the liquid in the gravy to your liking. Mix half the cilantro in the dish and use the rest to garnish.
Enjoy with rice, roti or naan, and a side of salad.
Photo credit: http://foodess.com/9871-butter-chicken.html
Pooja Rao
Author
A self-taught home-cook with a passion for what cooking really stands for…Pooja believes that food really feeds the soul not just the stomach. Realtor by profession but a foodie at heart, Pooja’s love for food earned her a spot as one of the Top100 on MasterChef Canada. Follow h...
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