I used Heirloom tomatoes (just ’cause), and it really took this dish to another level
I have a confession to make. This dish may be my all time favorite thing to eat. Probably. Actually, I think it is. Say for example when I am at a gathering or wedding or even a buffet at a restaurant, my eyes roam around the buffet setup seeking butter chicken. And I must say if I don’t see it, I shed a tear. And my eldest daughter Sameen holds my hand and says ‘Mamma, it’s okay, you make it the best anyways.’ How sweet of her. And then I feel better. Seriously! All jokes aside, this is a very comforting, loaded with so many flavors, all-pleasing type of dish. You can eat it with rice, parathas (I love eating butter chicken with homemade parathas) or just a heaping spoonful on its own. A spoonful of butter chicken makes everything better.
I think one of the most important ingredients that really defines this dish is the type of tomato used. I have made this dish with Roma, Beefsteak, Celebrity, Campari, even San Marzano canned tomatoes, and for the above recipe I used Heirloom tomatoes. Each one has a slightly different finishing taste, but they are all equally delicious. I happened to come across these big, beautiful Heirloom tomatoes the other day at the market, while aimlessly searching the vegetable library. So I thought, let’s use these beauties in Chicken Makhani. So here it is. The result was a perfectly balanced, sweet and spicy taste of deliciousness, which indeed, even surpassed my expectations!
Butter Chicken – ‘Murgh Makhani’
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts *pounded and thinly sliced
- 3-4 medium tomatoes *I used Heirloom tomatoes
- 4 tsp Tandoori spice mix *Rajah Tandoori Masala is the best
- 1 /2 tsp Kashmiri lal mirch
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 1/2 tsp dried Fenugreek leaves *crushed
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt *whisked
- 2 tsp fresh garlic paste
- 2 tsp fresh ginger paste
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp grapeseed oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 small Jalapeno pepper *seeded and chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For Chicken Marination
- Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts. Place breasts (3 at at time) in gallon size Ziploc bag and seal. Pound chicken breasts with mallet until thin. Remove breasts and slice into small, bite size pieces (you can slice into strips if you like). Place sliced chicken breasts in mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 2 tsp Rajah Tandoori Masala, 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder and 3/4 cup whisked yogurt. Mix well to combine and coat chicken evenly with spice mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 2-3 hours to marinate (leaving it overnight is even better!)
For Cooking Chicken
- Remove marinated chicken from fridge and let rest for 20-25 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil on high heat. Once oil is hot, turn heat to medium high and add marinated chicken. Mix well and cook for 7-8 minutes until chicken changes color and some water evaporates. Turn heat to medium low, cover chicken and cook for additional 25-30 minutes. Stir a few times in between, as needed. You may make your tomato base at this point.
For Tomato Base
- In another pot, add 2 tbsp grapeseed oil and heat on high. Once oil is hot, turn heat to medium and add 1 tsp fresh ginger paste and 1 tsp fresh garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Now add thinly sliced onions and cook on medium flame until onions are light golden brown, approximately 10-12 minutes (Please take caution not to burn). Add 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Lal Mirch and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add all the chopped tomatoes and seeded, chopped jalapeno pepper and mix well to combine. Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Now cover, turn heat to medium low, and continue to cook tomato and onion mixture for an additional 25 minutes. Stir a few times in between, as needed. Now add the remaining 2 tsp of Rajah Tandoori Masala and 1/2 stick of cubed unsalted butter. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Finally, blend the tomato and onion mixture with hand blender to desired consistency (smooth and creamy). At this point the chicken that is cooking separately should also be done.
For Combining and Finishing
- Uncover cooked chicken and check for excess water. You do want some liquid to include as part of the gravy but if you notice too much water, cook chicken for additional 5 minutes on medium high heat. Once excess water has evaporated, add cooked chicken to smooth, blended tomato base and mix well to combine. The heat should be on medium. Add 1 1/2 tsp crushed Fenugreek leaves, remaining 1/2 stick of cubed unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Mix well, cover and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes for all the flavors to meld (sometimes what I do is have the oven preheated to 375 and I bake the final Chicken Makhani, slightly covered with aluminum foil, for 10-15 minutes to finish). This does something unexplainably amazing and the final taste is superb! Chicken Makhani is now ready to serve. Nosh Farma'aiye! Enjoy!