Indian Butter Chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala

When I knew I'd be having gall bladder surgery and not eating or cooking much for a few weeks, I put out the call to my friends and family asking for them to photograph their own dinners and send me recipes to use on the blog.  One of the great side effects of that was finding new recipes for myself and which family and friends to hit up for dinner soon.   (If only they knew they'd be called upon to reprise their menus--I'm not above begging!)

James sent me this fabulous photograph of his dinner of my friend and fellow blogger, Monica's, family recipe for Indian Butter Chicken (or Chicken Tikka Masala).  Wow!  That was my first response to both the photo and the recipe.  I'm definitely going to ask James to make this for me (we might invite Gene) and the photograph is amazing. But I would expect nothing less from James, since he is a professional.

Thanks James and Monica!

 

Monica says there's one secret ingredient to her family recipe.  Click here to read her whole post and find out what it is:  Secret Ingredient:

Butter Chicken

Recipe from Monica Bhide,  A Life of Spice blog

This is my adaptation of my father’s fabulous dish. Serve this with hot steamed rice, or rice and peas, or Indian breads such as naan.

Makes 4 to 5 servings

For The Chicken

• 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon peeled, grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon peeled, minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons Indian tandoori masala (I recommend Shan brand)
• 1/4 cup canned tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee*
• 8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (make slits in the chicken to allow the marinade to penetrate)
• Salt, to taste

For The Sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon peeled, grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon peeled, minced garlic
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 1 serrano chile, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves*
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, Indian tandoori masala, tomato puree, salt, lemon juice and butter. Add the chicken and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken in a single layer in a roasting pan. Pour all remaining marinade over the chicken. Roast 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken from the oven and place all the pieces on a platter. Reserve the cooked marinade in a bowl.

To make the sauce, in a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly. Use the back of a spatula to mash the tomatoes as you go. Continue until the tomatoes are completely mashed and soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the reserved marinade.

Add the salt, chili pepper, fenugreek leaves and chicken and mix well. Simmer covered for about 10 minutes.

Add the cream and simmer for another minute. Serve hot.

*Available at Indian markets.