BUTTER CHICKEN CURRY SPICE

If there is one dish that sums up the curry experience, especially for those hailing from outside India, it would be Butter Chicken. It is our best-selling spice blend and for good reason too - it is a winner. 

The humble origins of this dish can be traced back to a talented young chef named Kundan Lal Gujral (who had already been credited for inventing Tandoori Chicken and would later go on to create the renowned Dhal Makhani). He had fled to Delhi from Pakistan following the partition and started a restaurant called Moti Mahal. Chef Kundan saw that the tandoori chicken skewers which did not get sold during the day, would go to waste, and so he thought of cooking that same chicken in a sauce to soften it. That sauce was the sauce that propelled this culinary genius into legendary fame and has kept his soul alive through the makers and eaters of Butter Chicken.

Butter Chicken has won hearts and tastebuds throughout the world because of the generous lashings of butter perfectly dissolved into a thick tomatoe-y gravy that has absorbed the sultry spices of the tandoor-roasted chicken. The dish takes you on a rollercoaster of sensations with every bite; it is mildly spicy, with a hint of sweetness from the tomato base; the mix of butter and yoghurt makes it creamy and; the juices of the spiced chicken give it a tangy touch. 

Celebrate this dish’s popularity by making it yourself at home. You will learn that the delicate balance of spices (taken care of by yours truly) combined with some fresh pantry ingredients, is all you need to bring authentic Indian cuisine to the dinner table.

recipe:

1) MARINATE:  in a glass bowl place 1 cup Greek Yoghurt, 1/2 pack of our spice, 5 cloves grated garlic (1 tbsp), 1 level tbsp sugar, 1 level tbsp sea salt, 2 tbsp tomato sauce.  Mix in 1 whole chicken (1 - 1.2kg) cut in half.  Allow to marinate in the fridge, minimum 30 minutes maximum 12 hours.

2)  COOK:  Heat your oven to 240C.  Line a baking tray with parchment paper (to avoid scrubbing).  Place marinated chicken in tray and cook for 24 minutes.

NOTE:  We have also tested this out, on a stove top, with diced, boneless chicken thigh filets.  Empty marinated chicken into a cooking pot, add 1 cup water and cook, covered for 10 minutes, on medium high heat. 

vegetarian version:

Use our alternative recipe for this spice: Aubergine and Butter Beans with Almond Eggplant and Butter Beans with Almond Cous Cous (vegan recipe printed on inside cover of our new packs)..