Butter Chicken Masala

Butter Chicken Masala 

This Butter Chicken recipe is quite different in taste from the one I usually make. I had bought the Zaiqa Butter Chicken Masala packet and I wanted to try the recipe as written on the packet. It was very different in taste from the regular Butter Chicken Masala but flavor-wise, though different, it hit all the right spots.

Ingredients for Marination:

2 tablespoons Zaiqa Butter Chicken Masala

1 teaspoon lime juice

1-2 tablespoons curd/plain yogurt

1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Gravy:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons oil

2 onions, ground to paste or chopped very fine

4 tomatoes, ground to paste (boiled & de-skinned) or 1 cup tomato puree

2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

500 grams chicken boneless pieces

1 teaspoon dry kasoori methi leaves/dry fenugreek leaves

3 tablespoons Zaiqa Butter Chicken Masala

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup or 1 teaspoon sugar

Salt, to taste

1 cup milk

2 tablespoon cream

1 teaspoon cream, to garnish

Oil, as needed, for pan-fry/grilling

Method:

1. Marinate chicken pieces in Zaiqa Butter Chicken Masala, lime juice, curd and salt.
2. Leave to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
3. Pan fry or grill. When cooked, keep aside for use in the gravy.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a kadai/wok. Sauté the onion paste, or very finely chopped, till the raw onion smell evaporates.
5. Add 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, sauté well.
6. Add ground tomatoes or 1 cup tomato puree. Sauté till the raw tomato smell evaporates and oil separates.
7. Add chicken pieces, sauté for 5-7 minutes on low heat.
8. Add Zaiqa Butter Chicken Masala, kasoori methi leaves, salt to taste, sauté.
9. Add milk (very gradually), and allow to simmer for a few minutes till the gravy reaches the desired consistency.
10. Add cream, tomato ketchup, or sugar, simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes.
11. Garnish with butter and cream. Serve with naan or parathas. 

Chef Notes: 

1. Vegetarians can use cottage cheese/paneer instead of chicken to make a vegetarian version of this recipe. 
2. The recipes asks for boneless pieces but I’m not very fond of boneless chicken hence opted for drumsticks.
3. I used the Zaiqa brand of Butter Chicken masala that I bought online. It’s a spice blend manufactured by Zaiqa – The Spice Store. To buy their spices visit their Face book page ‘Zaiqa - The Spice Store’ and message Anisa Arif for the same. 
4. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.