Indian Butter Chicken

I do not make much Indian food. And, honestly, I don't eat it out very often either. But back in the day when I worked at CM, there was an Indian buffet up the street we'd frequent for lunch once a month, give or take. They had the VAT of butter chicken and I was hooked. That's the ONLY reason I'd go to lunch there.

And because it was a buffet, I'd waddle away afterwards in need of a serious nap.

It very much reminds me of Tikka Masala chicken too. Though Tikka Masala has a few different spices and Greek yogurt. Still, it ends up be a creamy sauce that just BEGS to have Naan dipped in it. I didn't have Naan, so I ate it over rice. 

This is a solid recipe. It's spicy, but not too spicy, flavorful and full of very Indian flavors to me. I'd make it again for sure. 

Indian Butter Chicken

Recipe from Insanely Good Recipes

Serves 4

• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream [JW note: I used half and half instead of heavy cream. It turned out fine.]

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the chicken, tomato paste, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Pour in the heavy cream and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.

Serve the butter chicken over basmati rice or with naan bread. Enjoy!