Butter Chicken
Happy New Year! We need the exclamation point, am I right? While there is no magic wand, 2021 will undoubtably be better than 2020…how can it not?So here’s to the hope for a brighter future, one where we can dance to live music in crowded spaces, hug our parents, eat inside dimly lit, intimate restaurants, travel freely and see each others’ smiles. Oh yes, and not fear every scratchy throat, sneeze and tingle. Now, on to my weekly distraction.
My love for Indian food is no secret, as is my never-ending quest to get it right. It’s not the easiest food to cook, mostly due to the necessary assortment of spices that go way beyond cumin, turmeric and coriander. There’s cardamom, garam masala, fenugreek, asafoetida, amchur…honestly, I feel as though I am embarrassing myself with this tip-of-the-iceberg lack of knowledge. But my point is that while a deep dive, family history and years of experience may be needed to nail Indian cuisine, it is well worth making minimal investments in some basic ingredients to try exploring it at home. And with that caveat, I will remind you of my past attempts at Chicken Tikka, Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Cauliflower, Indian Spinach with Corn, Samosa Pie, Masala Omelette and introduce you to Butter Chicken from Half Baked Harvest.
This was a chicken dish that my whole, not-as-wild-about-Indian-food-as-me family enthusiastically enjoyed. I ate the sauce over rice for days afterwards. As with most Indian dishes, I enjoy them with some jarred chutneys. Major Grey’s by Patak can be found in most supermarkets and if you happen upon an Indian aisle with more depth or, lucky you, an Indian market, you may also want to pick up a jar of Coriander Chutney. To temper the spiciness of this dish and much of Indian cuisine, it’s nice to serve a Raita, which is a classic Indian yogurt sauce with diced cucumber, a little cumin, garam masala, salt and cilantro. Ghee, clarified butter, is not required for this dish but I substituted it for the butter because I’ve learned from experience that it truly does make a difference. And one final comment on the recipe as written below is that if you have more time to marinate the chicken, it certainly won’t hurt. Overnight in the refrigerator is probably traditional but this short marination works. And if you or your audience is sensitive to heat, dial down the the cayenne. I went for the full two teaspoons and it was hot but oh, so good! Enjoy!
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/4 c plain Greek yogurt
- 6 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 2 Tbls fresh grated ginger
- 2 tsp plus 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper to taste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 Tbls olive oil
- 4 Tbls salted butter or ghee
- 1 lg yellow onion chopped
- 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 1/2 c tomato paste
- 1 14-oz can coconut milk or 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 c cilantro roughly chopped
- steamed rice and/or naan for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl, toss together the chicken, yogurt, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit 5-10 minutes or as long as overnight.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter (or ghee) and toss to coat the chicken. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate.
- To the skillet, add the onion and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add 2 tablespoons butter (or ghee), 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and the chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 cup water and the coconut milk (or heavy cream). Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a simmer, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter (or ghee). If the sauce seems thick, thin with 1/2 to 1 cup additional coconut milk. Add the chicken and any juices on the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Enjoy!