Butter Chicken (India)

The rich, buttery, creamy chicken, is perhaps the most popular of all Indian dishes on the planet. There is an instant spark and recognition at the utterance of this heartwarming favorite delicacy. The origin of Butter Chicken can be traced back to a man named Kundan Lal Gujral, who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Peshawar before the partition of India in 1947, dividing the sub-continent into India and Pakistan. In the aftermath of the Partition, along with millions of other non-Muslims, Kundan Lal moved to India and opened a modest 'dhaba' type restaurant in Delhi. He not only retained the name Moti Mahal for his restaurant, but also introduced Butter Chicken, the dish he had mastered for many a decades and which had made his restaurant the most popular back home in Peshawar. With word of mouth, Moti Mahal in Daryagunj Delhi became famous for its specialty, Butter Chicken. So much so that its fame spread to far and wide making it the biggest culinary attraction for tourists coming to India, with its name appearing in all guidebooks on travels to India.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 kg boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in large chunks
• 50 g butter
• 1 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground red chillies
• 1 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  Salt to taste
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamom pods, bruised
• 4 medium size fresh tomato puree
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  

Directions

1. Heat a wok until really hot, add 1 Tbsp oil.
2. Add half the chicken and stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until chicken is a nice color.
3. Remove to plate.
4. Add extra oil and cook remaining chicken.
5. Remove from wok.
6. Reduce heat and add the butter.
7. When melted add all of the spices and stir-fry until fragrant- about 1 minute.
   

8. Return chicken to wok and stir to coat with the spices.
9. Add the tomato and simmer for 15 minutes- stir occasionally.
10. Add the yogurt, cream and lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens a bit.
11. Serve over rice or with naan.

Note: If you prefer, you can also use Tandoori or oven-baked chicken instead of stir-fried.