Butter Chicken

In my quest to conquer all kinds of cuisines, I've been cooking a lot of Indian food lately.  I could eat Basmati rice every day, so it only makes sense to put something spicy and aromatic on top of it.  I love the blend of spices and the way the kitchen smells when I cook this type of food.  Butter Chicken is quite simple to make, and a great foray into this kind of cuisine if it's something you're not too familiar with.  (Put it this way, I got my Beans-Cornbread-Fried Potatoes Dad to eat this!)  Give it a try.  Whether you're an expert or a novice in Indian food, Butter Chicken is delish!

Yummy, fragrant Butter Chicken!

The Ingredients...

Season chicken breasts with curry powder, salt and pepper.
Bake, cool, cube and set aside.

Combine garlic and spices to create a paste.

Saute onion in butter, adding the spice paste.

Stir in the tomato sauce.

Add the yogurt.

Stir in the half and half.

Add cooked chicken to the sauce.

Stir in remaining butter.
Allow to simmer 30 minutes.

Enjoy a taste of India!

Butter Chicken

1 tablespoon curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Garam Masala spice
1 tablespoon ground Turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup half and half
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Season chicken breasts with curry powder, salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and bake until done and juices run clear.  Remove from oven.  Allow to cool and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside.  Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine the garlic, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne pepper, olive oil, salt and pepper to create a paste.  Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.  Add chopped onion and saute about 5 minutes.  Add the spice paste.  Coat onions and allow to cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomato sauce, yogurt and half and half.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the cooked chicken and the remaining two tablespoons of butter.  Simmer on low for 30 minutes.  Serve over Basmati rice.

Prep Time:   Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 40 minutes