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Butter Chicken/Murgh Makhani

Butter chicken or Murgh Makhani is an Indian dish, popular all over the world. The origins of butter chicken can be traced back to Delhi, during the period of Mughal Empire. According to a documentary by the Discovery Channel, butter chicken recipe was invented by a person working in the kitchen staff of a famous restaurant called Moti Mahal located in Daryaganj, the central region of Delhi. Called Murg Makhani in Hindi, Butter Chicken originated in the 1950s at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Old Delhi. Famed for its Tandoori Chicken, the cooks there used to recycle the leftover chicken juices in the marinade trays by adding butter and tomato. This sauce was then tossed around with the tandoor-cooked chicken pieces and presto - Butter Chicken was ready! The leftover dish appealed to Delhites and was quickly lapped up by the rest of the world. So impressed was India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru by Kundal Lal's dishes that Moti Mahal became a permanent fixture in all his state banquets. Legend has it that when former Soviet premier Nikita Kruschev was asked what he liked about India, he replied, ''Taj Mahal and Moti Mahal''. When the Shah of Iran came on a state visit to India, the Indian

Education Minister Maulana Azad told him that coming to Delhi without eating at Moti Mahal was like going to Agra and not seeing the Taj Mahal. After Nehru, his daughter and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi continued the relationship with Moti Mahal. So fascinated was she by the food that at the wedding of her younger son Sanjay Gandhi, Moti Mahal specialties dominated the dinner. Dressed chicken is marinated overnight in a yogurt and spice mixture and then grilled, roasted or pan fried. Makhani, the sauce, is made by heating and mixing butter,tomato puree, and various other spices with some fresh cream and cashew paste. Once the sauce is prepared, the prepared chicken is cooked till the gravy and chicken have blended. While the dish's general recipe is well known, the actual flavor can vary from restaurant to restaurant even within India. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas or steamed rice. Below is my version of Butter Chicken ~a favorite of my daughter.

Ing redients :

For th e Ch icken : 1. Bon eless ch icken (approx about 4 cups of cut ch icken ) 2. 4 tablespoon yog urt/curd 3. 2 tablespoon fresh cream 4. 1 teaspoon kasoori meth i

5. 1/4 stick or 2 tablespoon s of butter 6. 4 teaspoon lemon juice 7. 1 teaspoon cumin powder 8. 1 teaspoon ch illi powder 9. 2 teaspoon g in g er g arlic paste 10. 1/4 teaspoon g aram masala powder 11. 1/2 teaspoon saffron soaked in warm milk 12. 1 teaspoon salt 13. a pin ch of red food color (option al) For th e g ravy: 1. 1 cup sliced on ion s 2. 1 cup sliced tomatoes 3. 1 teaspoon ch illi powder 4. 1 teaspoon kash miri ch illi powder 5. 1 teaspoon g in g er g arlic paste 6. 1/4 teaspoon g aram masala powder 7. 1/2 stick butter or 4 tablespoon s of butter 8. 2 tablespoon s cash ews 9. 1 teaspoon kasoori meth i 10. 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder 11. 1/2 teaspoon sug ar 12. 1/4 cup fresh cream 13. a pin ch of red food color (option al) 14. salt to taste Pr ocedur e: 1. Cut ch icken in to small bite size pieces an d marin ate with th e in g redien ts g iven .Refrig erate overn ig h t or a min imum of 3 h ours for th e ch icken to absorb all th e flavors. 2. Place th e ch icken on a bakin g tray an d bake th em in th e oven at 425 F for 15 min utes an d th en broil for an oth er 10 min utes. (wh en th e oil starts to separate it in dicates it is don e). Do n ot discard th e juices. Th e marin ated ch icken can also be deep fried in oil. Keep th e ch icken aside.

3. Heat th e butter in a h eavy pan /kadai , add th e on ion an d saute well un til th e on ion s turn tran slucen t. Now add th e g in g er g arlic paste an d saute for an oth er 3 min utes. to th is add th e ch illi an d g aram masala powders. Mix th e tomatoes immediately an d saute well un til th e tomatoes turn soft. 4. Cool completely an d g rin d with cash ews to fin e smooth paste. 5. In an oth er pan /kadai brin g th e g roun d mixture to a boil with 1/2 a cup of water an d simmer for 10 min utes (stir occasion ally). 6. To th is add th e sug ar, food color, cream an d salt. Add th e ch icken an d simmer un til th e butter ch icken con sisten cy is reach ed ( approx 5 min utes ). 7. Switch off h eat an d fin ally add th e butter, kasoori meth i an d cumin powder. Serve with naan, roti, parathas or steamed rice. FYI:Moti Mahal is at 7 Jagannathan Road, Nungambakkam Chennai.