Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani Delhi)

I tried a new recipe last night and it's so good, I had to share. This delicious Indian dish consists of chicken cooked in a tomato-based curry sauce. Traditionally baked, this is a simplified recipe that cooks the chicken in a skillet. For the Makhani sauce, I strongly recommend using canned Italian peeled tomatoes because they are consistently full-flavored; however, you can use fresh tomatoes by first scalding them and removing the skin. For those cooking this onboard, it’s a little more time consuming than what I usually recommend for a main entree, but for a special occasion, you can’t beat the flavor!

Serves 4

2 lbs chicken quarters or thighs on the bone, skinned

4-5 TB oil (your choice)

Small handful of cilantro (for final garnish)

Marinade

1 cup plain Greek yogurt or plain yogurt that is strained to remove most of the whey

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 TB fresh ginger, minced
2/3 tsp red chili powder, or ½ to 1 tsp chili flakes

¼ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp salt

2 tsp lime juice

Pinch of tandoori coloring if desired (tasteless, just adds red color to the dish)

Makhani Sauce

1 28oz can Italian peeled tomatoes (I recommend Carmelina brand)

¼ tsp ground fenugreek seeds (or if you can find it, ½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves, ground to powder; use this spice sparingly as it can be quite bitter)

3 oz chilled butter, unsalted

1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp chili flakes

½ tsp garam masala

1 ½ oz cream (half & half is fine)

Prepare the marinade and place it and the chicken pieces in a large ziplock bag or covered bowl and allow to marinate 1-2 hours or overnight. When ready to cook, heat the oil in a large skillet and put in the chicken with the marinade. Cover and cook on medium to low heat until done, turning the chicken periodically (about 45 minutes).

Place the tomatoes (without the puree) in a small bowl and using a fork, reduce to a semi-pulp. Place the tomato pulp into a skillet and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated slightly. Add the remaining spices and salt to taste, then add the cream and stir, adding additional chili pepper or paprika if not spicy enough. If desired, add 2-4 TB of the yogurt marinade to the makhani sauce, which will add some additional layers of flavors. Just before serving, add the butter and cook for only 1 minute (longer will turn the butter to ghee, which is grainy). Pour over chicken and garnish with cilantro leaves.