BUTTER CHICKEN

Butter Chicken:

                            Butter chicken is the most popular curries in Indian restaurants throughout the world. It tastes delicious with smooth gravy texture, goes well with naans, parathas, chapatis and even rice items too. It is a North Indian cuisine and we can call it as chicken makhani. It is a super easy dish prepared with butter, spices and most importantly using tomato gravy... which is the key ingredient of this dish. 

Butter chicken

                                                   Most people thought that Butter Chicken is very hard to prepare, but in reality it is not true, its a super easy dish with regular ingredients. we just need a step by step process which i provided in the preparation part which makes you easy to understand. So, here is the preparation, give it a try for yourself...

                         Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

       

          For Chicken Marinade:

• Chicken-1/2 kg( recommend large pieces)
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tbsp
• Hung curd - 2 tbsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp ( preferred kashmiri red chilli powder )
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

       For sauce:

• 1 onion - medium sized finely chopped
• Tomatoes - 4 to 5 chopped ( 1 cup)
• Whole Cashew nuts - 10
• Salt - 1/2 tbsp ( as per your taste)
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Red chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
• Butter - 3 tbsp
• Water - 1 cup
• Fresh cream - 1 tbsp (Optional)
• Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp (Optional)

Preparation: 

       Here I tried to provide you step by step process for the preparation of butter chicken which makes you easy to understand...

     Chicken Marination:

First marination:

1. Take a bowl and add 1/2 kg of chicken.
2. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of salt and massage them well and keep aside for 1/2 an hour.

Second marination:

1. Now for second marination, add 2 tbsp hung curd, 1/2 tsp of garam masala, 1 tbsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tbsp cumin powder, and 1 tbsp oil to the chicken and again massage them well and refrigerate it for an hour. (If you have time, you can marinate it for about 4 hrs or overnight.)

          for  sauce: 

1. Firstly, heat a pan and add 1 tbsp of butter, add chopped onions , tomatoes, 1/2 cup water and cook it for 3 to 4 mins.
2. After that add 1 tbsp butter and cashews into it and cook until water gets evaporated and switch off the flame and cool them down and blend it to a smooth paste and keep aside.

     for grilled chicken: 

1. Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a pan and grill marinated chicken on high flame till the moisture gets evaporated ( We can use oven or tandoor to grill) and keep aside.

And the main part preparation of butter chicken: 

1. Now, heat 1 tbsp of butter and pour the tomato gravy into it and saute for a minute or two and add remaining 1/2 cup water and give it a nice stir and cook for 3 more minutes on a medium flame.
2. Check salt and add  salt at this stage if required and cook for 10 to 15 mins by adding grilled chicken to the gravy till  you get required gravy consistency. 
3. Add 1 tsp kasuri methi  and saute well.
4. Also add 1 tbsp of fresh cream and turn off the flame.
5. That's it, our butter chicken is ready to serve.
6.  Garnish with onions on the top and serve hot with naans, chapati, parathas or any kind of rice items.

Tips:

• Try to use kashmiri red chilli powder which adds a vibrant red color to the dish.
• Always serve hot with any kind of rice items, naans, parathas, chapatis etc., because  the butter gets thick when it cools down.
• If the sauce is not smooth, then filter it by using a strainer for a creamy sauce. 
• If you want you can grill the chicken in oven or tandoor.