Butter chicken for the strong hearted

The recipe for Butter chicken is actually a dual recipe – one of the tandoori chicken and the other for the makhani gravy or the butter gravy – the mother of all north Indian –mughlai sauces.This was invented in motimahal by the founder Kundan lal Gujral .As goes the old saying necessity is the mother of all inventions – it was mere need to sell the chicken tikka , which went a little dry hanging by the side of hot tandoors that lead to the invention of this makhani gravy , so that the chicken could be sauted in this sauce to over come the poor tikka`s dry spell .

As goes the old riddle “ whether the egg came first or the chicken “ it is hard to tell but in the case of butter chicken and tandoori chicken , it is the tandoori chicken which hatched before the butter chicken .

So lets see how to cook the tandoori chicken first and transform it into the Butter chicken later.

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Butter chicken

By Monish Gujral
Published: September 23, 2010

Yield: 3-4 servings
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Ready In: 59 mins

First is the -recepie for the tandoori chicken (FROM MY BOOK MOTIMAHAL`S TANDOORI TRAIL).
Then we make the makhni sauce alias butter gravy.

Ingredients

600-700 gm Chicken pat dried
1 tsp Red chilli powder For the first marinade
1 1/2 tbsp Lemon- juice For the first marinade
Salt to taste For the first marinade
1/2 cup Yoghurt For the second marinade
1 tbsp Garlic paste For the second marinade
1 tbsp Ginger paste For the second marinade
1/2 tsp Rock salt(kala namak) For the second marinade
1 tsp Garam masala For the second marinade
Red colour (optional) a few drops For the second marinade
1/2 tsp Dry fenugreek (kasoori methis)powder For the second marinade
2 Onions cut into rings For the second marinade
1 Lemon wedges For the second marinade
1 Tandoori chicken For the Makhni Sauce
800 gm Ripe red tomatoes For the Makhni Sauce
2 tbsp Oil For the Makhni Sauce
1 Onions chopped For the Makhni Sauce
1 tbsp Red Chili powder For the Makhni Sauce
1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste For the Makhni Sauce
Salt to taste For the Makhni Sauce
2 tbsp Cashew paste For the Makhni Sauce
1 tbsp Garam masala For the Makhni Sauce
1 tsp Zeera powder For the Makhni Sauce
50 gm Butter For the Makhni Sauce
50 gm Double fresh cream For the Makhni Sauce
1 tsp Dry fenugreek powder(kasoori methi) For the Makhni Sauce
2 Green chili deseeded For the Makhni Sauce
1 tbsp Fresh green coriander chopped For the Makhni Sauce
1 tbsp Fresh cream for garnish For the Makhni Sauce

Instructions

Tandoori Chicken Process-
Make two deep incisions each on breast and the drum sticks.
For the first marinade- mix all the ingredients in a bowl and rub all over the chicken and keep aside for 1 hr.
For the second marinade – mix all the ingredients in a bowl and rub on the chicken pieces and keep for at least 3 hours.
Preheat the oven at 180 deg. Place the chicken on the grill rack , place the tray underneath to collect all the drippings. Grill for 8-10 minutes .
Brush with oil , turn upside down and grill for 3-4 minutes till tender.
Remove from the grill and keep aside.
For the Makhni Sauce-
Take a pan , put oil and heat it over fire.
Put onion and sauté for few seconds.
Put chopped tomatoes , bayleaf and salt in the pan and let it simmer , stirring occasionally till the oil sepearates from the sides.
Strain the sauce.
Pour in a pan and heat over fire.
Add all the spices.
Add in the Tandoori Chicken , stir for a 3-4 minutes.
Add butter and stir till it melts in cream and remove quickly.
Garnish with green chilies and coriander with a drip of cream.

Cuisine: Indian
Course: Entrée
Skill Level: Moderate