Delhi Butter Chicken.

From my London days moving to SoCal, the thing I missed the most was the BIR (British Indian) food. The Indian restaurants here in SoCal were not that good back then, so kind of had to teach myself to cook that style. Later, I migrated to more traditional Indian cooking, which is very different from BIR, although they have both influenced each other over the years to the point where it’s hard to know which one is which. But suffice to say that most Indian dishes in an Indian restaurant here, were developed in the west post-war.

This recipe is def more traditional Indian in as much as it’s not BIR, but it’s not a dish that’s got ancient Indian traditions either - it’s prob less than 100 years old and was most likely develop in Delhi. In any case, it is incredibly yummy. You’ll never want to make butter chicken any other way after this.

SAUCE:

10 tomatoes.
Blitz.
Add salt.
Add cinnamon sticks.
Add 10 cloves.
Add 10 green cardamon pods.
Add a bit of water.

Let simmer for a good time (at least 20 min) to let the spices infuse. Sieve tomatoes, to get spices and pulp/skin out.

Add ghee/butter to deep pan.
Pour the sieved/infused tomatoes in.
Add tomato puree/paste.
Add finely chopped garlic.
Add touch of honey or sugar.
Simmer and simmer and simmer to reduce and concentrate. At least 20 mins.

CHICKEN:

Cover chicken in lemon juice from one lemon, salt and chili powder.
Add yoghurt.
Add Garam Masala.
Add Ginger/Garlic paste.
Mix.
Put away for at least an hour, ideally longer or all day.

If you have a tandoor, cook chicken there. If not, cook in oven at very high heat. You want chicken to almost burn a little at the top, but still be juicy inside, so high heat is the way to go.

ALL TOGETHER NOW:

Add a little cream to sauce.
Add some finely chopped cilantro.
Add some mehti leaves (fenugreek).
Add some finely chopped green chili.
Put chicken in and turn into sauce.

Serve with rice and garnish with finely sliced ginger and some cilantro.

Sorry, picture doesn’t do it justice as we’d already tucked in hard, but it’s an amazing dish.

Served it with my yet-to-be-released Milk Fed 3 PicPoul, thanks for asking! [wink.gif]


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Looks amazing! Do you use the whole chicken or only certain parts?

Today I did tenders, but mainly because my little son was eating and he’s funny with bones and textures. Otherwise I’d def do legs or thighs, and then chop through the bones after oven cooking and then get it in sauce. So much more flavorful with the bone attached.

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super. What do you mean by “blitz” after tomatoes?

Blitzed as in a blender.

“Blitz” is used in the UK instead “blend”.