It’s been a while since I made a curry. By “a while”, I mean well over a month. That’s a long time in these here parts. Besides tagines, I’ve been making a lot of salads (with and without lettuce), cold noodle dishes, and lots of small vegetable-based side dishes. After Cory and I ate lunch at a Turkish restaurant on Saturday, I was already thinking about what to make for dinner on the bus ride home. What? I have a food blog. That gives me an excuse to daydream about food all the time, right? Right? Maybe not.
I really wanted to make a curry and butter chicken fit the bill. Though butter is an important ingredient in butter chicken, the dish gets its distinct flavor from fenugreek, which is a slightly sweet and nutty herb that tastes a little like maple and celery. Chances are, you won’t find fenugreek at your local supermarket but you will find it at your local Indian grocery. Fenugreek also pairs really well with other meats. So if you pick some up, don’t forget to sprinkle a little over your favorite pork or lamb dish. I suggest not adding more than a teaspoon at a time, too much fenugreek will make a dish bitter.
The butter chicken was a success and we both finished up our bowls rather quickly. When I’ve made butter chicken in the past, I’ve always added heavy whipping cream at the very end, but I’ve found that it weighs down the dish. This time around, I used half and half (for non-’Murrikans, that’s equal parts heavy cream and whole milk) and thought that was much better. If you find your curry sauce to be too runny, mix a little cornstarch with equal parts warm water and stir that into the curry. Traditionally, cashew paste would be used as a thickener, but just use whatever is more easily available to you. Also, peas aren’t typically added to the dish, but I added them anyway. Why not? Peas are adorable!
Butter Chicken
Print this recipeMarinade
1 cup whole yogurt (preferably strained or Greek yogurt)
2″ piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons curry powder
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon ghee or butter, melted
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt & pepper, to tasteSauce
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
1-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2″ piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek (methi) leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 cup heavy cream, half & half, or whole milk
1/2 cup peas (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
flat bread and/or rice, for servingRinse and pat dry chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken, cut into small pieces, and set aside. Mix together yogurt, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, garam masala, lemon juice, and ghee or butter in a roasting pan. Toss in the chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven. Separate the chicken from the marinade. Keep the chicken on a plate and leave the marinade in the roasting pan.
Meanwhile, heat butter to a large non-stick stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add peppers and ginger and cook for a couple minutes more, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes to the stockpot and adjust the heat to low. Now, add all the spices – fenugreek, cumin, garam masala, cinnamon, and clove. Continue cooking until the tomatoes begin to break apart, about 10 or so minutes. Stir in the marinade to the stockpot.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse into you have a silky, smooth curry. Return the curry back to the stockpot and bring to a very gentle boil. Add the chicken and cook until heated through, about 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the freshly chopped cilantro and peas, if using. Just before serving, stir in the cream or half and half. Serve with flat bread and/or rice.
Serves 4-6
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