Butter Chicken

Ok confession, I judge Indian restaurants outside of India with how they make their Butter Chicken. And, the mission to perfect the butter chicken started when none of these restaurants came even close to the one place we loved in Bombay. The kitchen experiments started pre-pandemic, but this chicken was only perfected during the pandemic (or so I think because my dad gave me the Paul Hollywood handshake - it was the closest to the butter chicken we have as soon as we land in Mumbai).

Servings: 3-4 people

Time:

• Chicken marinade: 12 hrs

• Prep | 20 mins

• Cook | 90 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 3-4 cardamom pods

• 3-4 cloves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 3 cups heavy cream

• 2 lb chicken thigh, boneless

• 5 tbsp red-chilli powder

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 2 tbsp gram flour/besan

• 2-3 medium onion, puréed

• 3-4 medium tomato, puréed

• 1/2 cup honey

• 2 tbsp kasoori methi

• salt

Procedure:

1. Marinate the chicken overnight in 2 tbsp of red-chilli powder, turmeric, salt, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Mix in the besan and grill in the oven (or on a grill) at 350F for 45 mins, turning the chicken about two-thirds of the way in. I prefer to grill my chicken in full first and then shred it.

2. Now in a sauce pan, heat some oil and add 3-4 Cardamom, 3-4 Cloves and a cinnamon stick.

3. Add in the puréed onions and fry till brown

4. Add in the puréed tomatoes and honey. Fry till you see a layer of oil

5. Mix in the remaining heavy cream, and the red-chilli powder

6. Once the tandoor'd chicken is ready, toss that into the gravy

7. Top off with some kasoori methi

8. Pour in a baking tray, and broil (low) the butter chicken for about 10-15 mins.