Great food and grandmothers are symbiotic in nature, one cannot exist without the other. It is a primary rule that grandmas stuff you with humble home-cooking and no restaurant quality dish will stand in the way of their immense love for feeding the grand kids. They pour their heart and soul into the food they make and you always seem like you have lost 10 pounds in their non-judgemental eyes, which is extremely reassuring to your ego. No one has to ask you twice to eat because happiness and eating are synonymous!
My grandmother is one such kind soul who has a ravenous passion for cooking and has graciously granted permission to share the recipe for her sumptuous butter chicken. This dish has so many happy memories tied to it and hence it is very close to my heart.
Ingredients required for making naani’s scintillating butter chicken consist of:
- ½ a kilo of chicken
- 400 grams of tomato paste
- 250 ml of thick full cream/whipping cream
- 5-6 green chilies
- A sprig of coriander leaves
- ½ tsp of Coriander powder
- 1½ tsp of Cumin powder
- ½ tsp of Garam masala
- 1 tbsp. of ginger and garlic paste
- 1 tsp of chili powder
- 2-3 tbsp. of butter
- 1 tsp of Salt or 1 cube of Maggi chicken stock
Method:
- Marinate the chicken with chili powder, salt, and ginger and garlic paste for an hour.
- Take a saucepan and pop in the heavy cream, tomato paste, Maggi cube, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala.
- Allow the sauce to blend in the spices and simmer it for 15-20 after it comes to a boil. Occasionally, give it a stir or two.
- In a frying pan, splash some oil and shallow fry the marinated chicken, until it looks golden and a little crispy.
- Toss the fried chicken into the creamy sauce and let it boil for a while. Keep swiping the sides of the saucepan with a spatula to prevent the sauce from sticking to the surface.
- The last step is to sauté the green chilies and chopped coriander leaves in butter. Garnish the chicken with this elegant mixture.
This recipe is simple yet quite technical. You need to nail the method and use the same ingredients for an outstanding output. The secret ingredient is unequivocally love and all the mush from your heart. This delicacy goes well with a bowl of sizzling fried rice or buttery flaky parathas. Don’t forget to impress your family with this number!