WORLD FAMOUS: TANDOORI - CREAMY BUTTER CHICKEN - - PASS THE MASALA

Creamy Mouthwatering Butter Chicken - without a doubt is identified as THE quintessential Indian dish that is THE most Popular Indian dish - worldwide. Make it at home in 3 easy steps: 1. Make TANDOORI CHICKEN OR USE LEFT OVER CHICKEN 2. Make Silky Smooth Gravy 3. Introduce the TWO - voila - BUTTER CHICKEN    • WORLD FAMOUS: TANDOORI - CREAMY BUTTER CHI...   www.passthemasala.com The use of powdered nuts and butter to a tomato onion base adds richness to the gravy making it deliciously rich creamy & bursting with flavors creating a silky gravy with intense flavor of spices tempered with cream. Legend: A certain restaurant in London catered Takeout Tandoori Chicken to its Clientele. On some nights sales were so poor that the restaurant was left with a big pile of ready to eat Tandoori Chicken. An enterprising chef found a clever way to use the Leftover Tandoori Chicken: prepared the Indian gravy but used butter to fry onions & Tomatoes to form his base knowing that everything tastes better with butter & it takes the dish to another level. Incorporating cream made it smooth & creamy. Cashew paste was added to thicken the gravy. Finally he introduced the chicken pieces to the gravy; left for 5-10 min. so flavors can blend and Voila - the iconic dish was born- BUTTER CHICKEN Little did he know that his creation would take the world by storm. It has since come to represent not only Indian Food but is claimed as the National Dish by the British on the basis that it was first composed, served and popularized in London before spreading worldwide. TANDOORI CHICKEN 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut each piece in half If using boned thighs, remove skin, make at least 2 deep cuts Combine 1 Tbs. olive oil & 3 Tbs. of Kashmiri chili powder- releases color & flavor in oil Mix & set aside. Marinate with: Chili oil, juice -1 lime 3 Tablespoon ginger garlic paste 1 ¾ teaspoons salt 1 Tablespoon Tandoori Masala Mix well; cover & refrigerate for 3-4 hours. TANDOORI MASALA – MAKES 3 TABLESPOONS In a small bowl: mix 4 tsp. coriander powder, 3 tsp. roasted cumin, 2 tsp. turmeric powder, 3 tsp. garlic powder, 1 1/2 tsp. ginger powder, 2 tsp. amchoor powder, 2 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. green cardamom powder, 1 tsp, cinnamon powder. Store mixture in an airtight jar for 3 months. TANDOORI CHICKEN Prepare roasting pan with scant amount of water below to catch drippings. Fit as many pieces as possible, it may look crowded but as they get grilled they will shrink. Drizzle with oil before grilling. This ensures chicken pieces stay moist & tender, not dry. Grill on both sides 5-6 min. Avoid turning pieces again & again just once on each side. Place tray in oven and broil one side for 5-6 min. Turn the pieces over & grill other side for another 5-6 min. Remove from oven. At this point, you can serve Tandoori chicken as an appetizer with your favorite chutney. Now see how we transform tandoori chicken into our famous butter chicken. Make sure you save the drippings to add to the gravy later on. BUTTER CHICKEN GRAVY In a non-stick pan, first heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, swirl it around, then add 4 Tbs. butter. Melt butter. Add few pieces mace (substitute allspice or cinnamon) 1 Bay leaf & 2 Tbs. Kashmiri chili powder Add 2 bulbs garlic, left whole – sauté for 2 min. Add 3 large onion - chunks & 1 tsp. salt, mix thoroughly. Cover & let onion sweat a little; uncover & cook for about 8 min. until onion are just starting to brown. Add 5-6 tomatoes, chopped finely & cilantro – include stems Cover & cook on medium heat for about 5 min. Uncover, add whole cashews or 1/4 cup powdered. Cover & simmer for about 15 mins till tomatoes become mushy. Now add the ketchup (2 squirts), mix well. Close stove. Remove stems & bay leaf. Set aside for Cooling. Add the drippings to the gravy. Meanwhile, get your ingredients ready to make butter chicken. Transfer this mixture to a blender; blend to a very fine smooth pulp. NOW FOLLOW THE FINAL STEPS TO MAKE YOUR BUTTER CHICKEN DELICIOUSLY CREAMY RICH & BURSTING WITH FLAVOURS In the original non-stick pan, melt 4 Tbs. butter on medium heat. Reduce heat, add 2 tsp. coriander powder, 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder, 1 1/2 tsp. green cardamom and 1 tsp. brown cardamom. Stir-fry on low heat to release their flavor. Add tomato-onion pulp; mix thoroughly. Stir in cream, mix well. I’m using ½ & ½ 10% cream (5 Tbs.), but you can use full cream to make it creamier. Add 3 tsp. kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and mix thoroughly; cook for about 5 min. or until cream has blended. Close stove. INTRODUCE TANDOORI CHICHEN TO THE GRAVY Mix gently. Let it stand for additional 5 – 10 min. until gravy has been absorbed. Garnish with fresh cream. Serve world famous creamy rich BUTTER CHICKEN with Naan. #WORLD FAMOUS BUTTER CHICKEN #MOUTHWATERING CHICKEN