Butter chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani (chicken with butter), is one of the world’s most fragrant and savory dishes, and it has long been a widely popular choice among Indian cuisine lovers.
The history of the dish dates all the way back to the late 1940s when a young chef named Gujral was forced to flee Pakistan during the 1947 Partition of India. Once relocated to Delhi, the chef founded his own restaurant. Due to a lack of refrigeration facilities, Gujral had to innovate to avoid leftover food waste, particularly of unsold tandoori tikkas. He concocted a tomato, butter and cream sauce to soften the chicken. The result proved a huge success and thus, butter chicken was born.
Today, butter chicken is enjoyed worldwide at nearly every Indian restaurant. It can seem a daunting meal to create on your own, as it utilizes a wide variety of ingredients and spices.
To make butter chicken from scratch would require about 13 individual spices.
However, Karen’s Spice Kitchen has taken the challenge and guesswork out of the equation with our mouthwatering butter chicken spice blend. Each necessary spice has been carefully measured and blended for you! All you need to do is pour them into the pot!
With the help of our spices, you can easily and single-handedly make this complex and delectable dish in the comfort of your own kitchen!
Our spice blend creates a flavorful yet mild dish. Each pouch includes an extra packet of hot chili powder if you’d like to add some heat. Each pouch also includes a full butter chicken recipe and simple instructions, as well as simple recipes for suggested side dishes to serve with your meal!
KAREN’S SPICE KITCHEN BUTTER CHICKEN
Preparation time: 20 minutes; cook time 40 minutes
Serves 4-6
Spice packet contains:
Garam masala (pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, bay leaf, cumin), ground ginger, ground cumin, salt, ground coriander,
almond meal, turmeric, chili powder, ground cinnamon , ground cardamom, paprika, ground black pepper, *plus an extra packet of chili powder
You will need:
1 packet Karen’s Spice Kitchen Butter Chicken spice blend
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil or cooking oil of your choice
2 lb. boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 or 2 -inch pieces
1 small can crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream. May substitute yogurt or coconut milk.
1-2 tablespoons sugar or honey
Method:
In a 2-quart pot, cook the diced onions in butter or oil until transparent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.
Turn down the heat and add the contents of the larger spice packet and cook for another few seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the chicken pieces and mix until coated with the onion/garlic/spice mixture. Add a bit of water to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pot.
To prevent the dairy from curdling, turn off the heat and add the cream/yogurt/coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice and sugar or honey. Mix together.
Turn the heat back on and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 – 40 minutes or until the sauce has reduced to the desired thickness. Stir in additional water if sauce is too thick. *Taste and add extra chili powder, a little at a time, if you like it hotter.
Tip: Cook the rice/quinoa/couscous/cauliflower rice while the dish simmers. In fact, cook extra to freeze for next time!
If desired, vegetables of your choice, e.g. cauliflower, green beans, eggplant may be added about 10 minutes before cooking time is complete.
Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa or couscous with a green salad. Enjoy!
Karen’s Spice Kitchen
1416 Tunnel Road
Asheville, NC 28805
www.karensspicekitchen.com
Mobile: 828-712-0993
Source: https://www.thebetterindia.com/75100/butter-chicken-history-kundan-lal-gujral/
Karen’s Spice Kitchen Butter Chicken Testimonial
May 26th, 2019
“Karen’s Spice Kitchen to the rescue! I was having a dinner party for 10 guests, planning to cook a tenderloin, when the power went out. It was raining too hard to grill outside and my oven wasn’t working. I looked in my pantry and saw that I had two butter chicken packets. I quickly revamped my menu and prepared your delicious butter chicken with basmati rice on the side. It was a hit! Everyone raved about the delicious spices. They were very impressed I could pull of a dinner party without power, and even more impressed that my meal was so good! Thank you!”
-Julie R.
Source: https://www.averiecooks.com/indian-butter-chicken/