Butter Chicken
As is true of so many now-classic dishes, butter chicken came about on a whim. Back in the 1950s, chefs at the famous Moti Mahal restaurant in Old Delhi whipped up a butter-rich tomato sauce to serve with tandoori chicken. And a star was born. This version incorporates purple-top turnips, which add a pleasant edge to the dish.
Yield: All recipes serve 2 people
Chef Notes: If you want to go the extra mile here, this dish will benefit from the classic technique of toasting and grinding whole spices. Dry roast coriander seed, cumin seed, black peppercorns, and cloves in a heavy skillet over medium heat until fragrant, then cool completely before grinding in a spice or coffee grinder. Cinnamon stick can be mashed into pieces and added to the pan with the ground toasted spices, then removed before serving.
Components
Butter Chicken
Cilantro
Basmati rice
Naan
Mise
Brown Chicken Heat oil in deep skillet or heavy saucepan. Add chicken thighs and brown on all sides, 6-8 minutes total. Remove from pan and set aside.
Make Base Add onion, garlic, and ginger to pan and sauté over medium heat until sweating. Add coriander, cumin, black pepper, clove, fennel, cinnamon, and paprika to pan and stir until just toasted, then add 2 T tomato paste and stir until mixture is fragrant and has turned a deep red. Add ¼ c water to pan and deglaze.
Simmer Sauce When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into 2-inch chunks and add back to pot along with turnip wedges. Simmer over medium-low heat until cooked through, about another 8 minutes.
Finish Sauce Turn heat to low and add heavy cream and butter. Stir in for a minute or two until flavors have melded.
Finish
Scoop butter chicken onto a plate.
Garnish with cilantro.
Serve alongside basmati rice and/or naan.