Punjabi Butter Chicken

Punjabi Butter Chicken..YUM YUM..

By: Aarthi Satheesh

Ingredients:

Oil - 2 tblspn

For Marination:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Curd / Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For Masala:
Butter - 3 tblspn
Oil - 2 tblspn
Cumin Seeds / Shahi Jeera - 1tsp
Onions - 1 large chopped finely
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Red Food Colouring - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1.5 tsp or to taste
Salt to taste
Tomato - 2 large pureed
Cream - 1/4 cup ( I mixed up 1/4 cup milk with 2 tsp cornflour)
Kasuri methi leaves - 1 tblspn
Water as needed

Method:

Take chicken and all the marination ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Leave it to marinate for 15 to 30 mins.

Now heat 2 tblspn oil in a frying pan and place the marinated chicken in a single layer and cook them on high heat for 5 mins or till the chicken is charred. Flip them over and cook again till the chicken is charred. Switch off the flame and set it aside.

Now in a kadai. Add oil and butter and let them heat up.

Add in jeera and let them sizzle. Add in chopped onion and saute them for 5 mins or till the onion is well browned.

Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min.

Add in red food colouring, chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and sugar and mix well and cook for 30 sec.

Add in tomato puree and mix well. Cover and cook for 5 mins to 8 mins till oil separates from it.

Now add in required amount of water and bring that to a boil. I used 2 cups of water.

Add in grilled chicken pieces and mix well. Simmer the flame and cover the kadai. Cook on a low heat for 15 to 20 mins till the chicken is tender and juicy.

Once the chicken is cooked add in the 1/4 cup of cream. I used the cheat version of cream, like mixing 1/4 cup of milk with 2 tsp corn flour. Simmer it for a min.

Now crush in the kasuri methi leaves into the gravy andmix well. Simmer again for couple of mins.

Switch off the flame and add coriander leaves.

Serve with naan or pulav.