Chicken Tikka Masala - A famous recipe
Butter chicken masala is one of the most popular dishes you would find at almost any Indian restaurant. Pieces of tandoori chicken are cooked in a tomato and cashew nut based sauce. Really tempting!
Chicken Butter Masala, also known as Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani is a dish that comes from the state of Punjab in northern India. Punjab is an area that produces a lot of dairy products so it is but natural that Punjabi food contains butter, fresh cream, milk etc. This dish is no exception. In fact, the dish gets its name from the sauce that contains loads of butter. Sometimes, ground cashews may be added to the sauce as a thickening agent. Traditional recipes always recommend the addition of dried fenugreek leaves as a garnish that are said to give the dish its unique taste. Chicken Butter Masala is typically served hot with naan, tandoori roti or parathas with a raita on the side.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 2 oz cashew nuts, ground
- 1 teaspoon tomato purée
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red chilli
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 oz tandoori chicken pieces
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, crumbled
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- Lemon juice, to taste
Directions
Place the tomatoes, ginger, garlic and nuts in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and boil for 15 minutes. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of hot water to keep it moist. Now add in the tomato purée, red chilli, paprika, salt to taste and the sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes, adding hot water if the sauce becomes too thick. The sauce should have the consistency of single cream. Add the chicken and butter, and cook for another 7 minutes over a moderate heat. Stir in the fenugreek, garam masala and lemon juice just before serving.
Tips
Butter Chicken Masala goes well with naan bread and cucumber raita on the side.
