Butter Chicken (Tikka Masala)

Butter Chicken (Tikka Masala)

From "Menus and Memories from Punjab", by Veronica "Rani" Sidhu

Yield: 10 cups

Ingredients

For the chicken:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs or a combination of both
4 teaspoons salt
1 cup hung yogurt or light sour cream
2 teaspoons tandoori chicken masala
1-inch piece ginger, grated 2 cloves garlic, minced

For the sauce:

4 tablespoons ghee
1 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds (shah zeera) or regular white cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced 11/2-inch piece ginger, grated
4 large tomatoes, diced or 1 (28-oz) can peeled/crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) (optional)
1 1/2 cup ground almonds
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar 1/2 cup cream

Garnishes: 

2 tablespoons sliced cilantro leaves

Sliced almonds

Method

1) With kitchen scissors, clip the visible fat from the chicken. Cut into even pieces 11/2x 1 V2-inches. Place the chicken in a bowl of cold water mixed with 3 teaspoons salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Mix the yogurt or sour cream, tandoori chicken masala, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl. Add the thoroughly rinsed and drained chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator while preparing the sauce.

2) Make the sauce: Heat a medium saucepan and then melt the ghee. Stir in the cumin seeds and heat for 5 seconds. Add the garam masala, onions, garlic, and ginger and saute until browned. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, fenugreek leaves, if using, almonds, salt, and brown sugar. Saute, stirring for 10 minutes and then remove from heat. Using an immersion hand mixer puree the mixture, or puree the sauce in a blender. Return the pureed sauce to the pot and simmer over a medium flame for 6 minutes until sauce reduces.

3) Preheat the broiler or grill. Broil or grill chicken pieces far enough apart to brown, not stew (you will need to do this in batches). Pour off the juice from the broiler pan into the sauce part way through cooking. Return to the broiler until some brown appears and chicken is just cooked through. Repeat until all the pieces are broiled. Set the chicken aside for 5 minutes and then cut each piece in half.

4) Add the chicken to the reduced sauce and cook and stir for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Blend in the cream at the last minute, cover, and simmer until gently heated through. Taste for seasoning and garnish with cilantro and sliced almonds before serving.