Indian Butter Chicken

Butter chicken originated in Delhi, the capital territory of India, sometime during the 1950s. During this time, a man named Kundan Lal Gurjal operated a restaurant in the city, called Moti Mahal. Kundan had settled here and started his business after fleeing from political upheaval in another region of India.

A HISTORY STORY: Butter Chicken

The curry was developed in the 1950s by Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral, founders of the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, India. The curry was made "by chance" by mixing leftover tandoori chicken in a tomato gravy, rich in butter (makhan).

Butter chicken is one of the richest of Indian dishes; succulent chicken pieces wrapped in a combination of cream, tomatoes and aromatic spices and dollops of butter, and it is also one of the most popular Indian dishes recreated around the world to suit different pallets.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, divided

• 1 onion, minced

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

• 3 cups heavy cream

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons tandoori masala

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook slowly until the onion caramelizes to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine cream, tomato sauce, remaining butter, salt, cayenne pepper, and garam masala in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Stir in caramelized onions.

4. While the sauce is simmering, toss chicken with vegetable oil until coated. Season with tandoori masala and spread out onto a baking sheet.

5. Bake chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes.

6. Add cooked chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.