How to cook butter chicken

Before India was divided in to 2 parts at time of independence , India consisted of Current day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. With division of India , in to India and Pakistan . The state of Punjab was also divided in to two pieces, MWFP ( North west frontier Punjab) in Pakistan and Punjab in India.  Now in the combined Punjab in city of Peshawar lived a guy named Kundan Lal Gujral . He used to operate a small restaurant called Moti Mahal. It is rumoured that he was the one who made and perfected this dish called Butter Chicken.  

                                                                Soon this dish Butter Chicken got very famous in Sikh community which took it to the whole world and is now a very famous dish around the world. After partition Kundan Lal Gujral came to India and settled in Delhi and opened his Moti Mahal restaurant in 1947.  I would talk about this history and branches of this restaurant in some other blog .  

                                                                Butter chicken is not a dry dish. The chicken has a thick gravy. Usually gravy is spicy in traditional Punjabi style but these days people all over the world are moving to less spicy food so you can add less spices to this dish and it would still taste as good. Other name this dish is known as Murg makhani & chooza makhani . It should be eaten with nan preferably butter nan. So when you enjoy this dish , forget counting your calories.

Ingradients

1. Butter 3 Tsp

2. Chicken 1

3. Curd/yoghurt 200 gms

4. Onions 3 medium sized diced

5. Almonds 75 gms finely chopped

6. Fresh cream 1 cup

7. Ginger 1 inch piece then finally chopped

8. Green Chillies 5 finally chopped

9. Tomato puree 1 pound

10. Clove of garlic 5 finally chopped

11. Pepper 2 Tsp

12. Bay Leaves 4

13. Turmeric 2 Tsp

14. Coriander Fresh and chopped

15. Garam Masala 1 Tsp

16. Sugar 2 Tsp

17. Salt According to taste

18. Desi ghee / cooking oil As required.

Preparation:

1.       Take a big bowl and put curd in to it. Add crushed almonds, all the spices, tomato puree, ginger, garlic and Salt.

2.       Blend all the ingredients well.

3.       Now cut chicken in to small pieces and put the pieces in to this mixture.

4.       Mix well. Keep it in refrigerator for couple of hours. Let chicken absorb all the aroma and taste of the ingradients.

5.       Heat Ghee in to a pan.

6.       Now when the Ghee melts and is heated put onions ( finely chopped) in to it.

7.       Sauté them for 3 minutes till they are golden brown.

8.       Now in these onions add chicken mixture.

9.       Sauté for another 10 minutes.

10.   Now divide coriander leaves in to two portions.

11.   Add one half in to chicken mixture and mix well.

12.   Now add fresh cream and cook for 3 minutes.

13.   Put the stove on simmer now.

14.   Now check chicken from time to time and when you find chicken is cooked then take it off the stove

15.   Put in a nice bowl and garnish it with coriander leaves

16.   Put 3 Tsp of butter on top of it

17.   Serve hot with butter nan.

Though this dish tastes best with butter nan but it tastes good even with Tandoori roti, tawa roti or even tandoori paranthas. Enjoy the gravy and

                                                Be ready to have your finger dirty as this is not a dish to be eaten with fork and knife.

                In pictures you might see the colour of gravy is different. It is because some people use colour in making this dish which i never advise.

 Also colour depends on how much tomato puree you have used.