Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is one of my favorite dishes.  It is one of the best known Indian foods all over the world. The dish is flavored and can be prepared  hot or mild. Butter Chicken goes well with Parathas, Naans, Chapathis or white rice. This recipe has been tested numerous times and is loved by everybody. My 3-year old loves it so much that she eats the butter chicken alone. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Boneless chicken (skin removed) - 2 pounds.
2 medium onions
2 medium tomatoes
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsps
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cloves - 4
1" stick of cinnamon
3 bay leaves
8-10 almonds
3-4 pods of cardamom
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Yogurt - 1/3 cup
Butter
Half and Half

Method

Marinate the chicken with half the amount of spices (chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala) and yogurt overnight.

Heat butter in a deep pan.  When it is hot, add the whole cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and the cardamom.  Add the onions and fry the onions till they are golden brown in color.  Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for a minute.

Add the tomatoes and let the onion and tomato mixture blend well.  Add turmeric, salt and the remaining spices.  Let the mixture cool and blend the mixture.

Saute the chicken in a little butter and then add the onion/tomato to the chicken and let the chicken cook on medium heat till the chicken is tender.

Grind the Almonds with some water and add the almond paste and the sauce gets thickened.  Add some half and half (this will make the dish less spicy - mild) and this will further thicken the sauce.  

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Chapathi, Naan or white rice. Enjoy!