no-butter BUTTER CHICKEN

The most famous Indian dish around the world. Little does the world realize that this is not a staple Indian dish that Indians prepare in their kitchens. 

What if this needs to be prepared frequently in household kitchens? Then, I would skip the butter and the cream. That's precisely what I did. Hence the name: no-butter Butter Chicken.

Make this recipe yours: Like it vegan? Substitute baby corn and mushrooms for the chicken.

INGREDIENTS 

1. 500 gms. Chicken breasts
2. 200 gms. onions finely chopped
3. 600 gms. tomatoes finely chopped
4. 2 Tbsp. Kashmiri chili powder
5. 2 Tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
6. 1 Tbsp. cumin powder
7. 1 Tbsp. garam masala powder
8. 2 Tbsp. lemon juice plus more as per taste
9. 1/4 cup kasoori methi
10. 4 Tbsp. oil
11. salt - 1 tsp for the chicken and 1 tsp for the onion-tomato gravy plus more as per taste
12. 10-15 cashews or almonds or walnuts or 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 
13. 3 Medjool dates
14. 1/2 cup each of chopped big chunks of capsicum and onion (optional)

METHOD

• Wash and clean the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Put the chicken in a colander to drain. Drain for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the onions and tomatoes and keep them aside. 
• Marinate the chicken with the spice powders and salt. 

• Heat a pan on medium-high heat; when warm, add 2 Tbsp. Oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, spread it in the pan, let roast on medium-high heat for 2 minutes, and then close with a lid and cook for another 1 minute. Open and give the chicken a stir. You need not flip over each piece of the chicken. Roast, covered for another 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The bottom of the pan will be a little roasted. Add the onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and 2 Tbsp oil to the pan and cook on medium-high heat with the lid on. Adding the tomatoes will deglaze the pan. 
• Reduce the onion-tomato gravy for about 20 minutes. 
  
  
  
  
                                    

                                            

          

• While the onion-tomato mixture cooks, paste the cashews and dates with water.
  
  
  

                                           

• Allow the onion-tomato mixture to cool, puree it, and then put it back with the chicken pieces. Simmer and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

• After 10 minutes, open the lid, add the kasuri methi, and let cook for another 2 minutes.

                                             

•  Add the cashew paste and simmer boil for about 1 minute.

• Add the chopped chunks of onions and bell pepper. Stir well and turn off the stove.

                                        

• Keep covered for about 5 minutes; check for taste, and add lemon juice and salt as per taste.

NOTES 

• To make a larger recipe quantity, cook the chicken in separate batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
• The above recipe has one glitch. It's a bit time-consuming as you must cook the chicken first and then add the onion-tomato mixture. It makes the recipe one-pot, though. The onion-tomato mixture can sauteed and cooked ahead in a pressure cooker and then added to the roast chicken. This way, it takes less time.