Butter Chicken of Lies!!
I asked an Indian friend of mine to show me a curry she grew up making. This is the result kind of. Deceit isnt actually required to make this dish, but it helps.
I asked an Indian friend of mine to show me a curry she grew up making. This is the result kind of. Deceit isnt actually required to make this dish, but it helps.
- 7 cloves garlic minced
- 1 big piece ginger grated
- 1 large red onion diced
- 2 tsp butter
- 2 tbsp whole cumin roasted then ground
- 3-4 whole tomatoes diced
- 3-4 stalk green onion diced
- 1 tsp hot chile powder (asian stuff)
- 2+ tbsp garam masala ground
- 1ish tbsp turmeric ground
- 1ish tbsp paprika ground
- 2+ tbsp curry powder ground
- taste salt and pepper
- 8ish whole chicken breasts or thighs cubed
- 2 spoons orange concentrate
- 3 cans tomato paste
- 500-1000 ml cream or balkan style yogurt
- 1 handful parsley corasely chopped
- Carbohydrate 12.04725400113 g
- Cholesterol 2.033541663413 mg
- Fat 1.3194874160085 g
- Fiber 2.40427494584341 g
- Protein 2.75414558377575 g
- Saturated Fat 0.560631665928537 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (66g)
- Sodium 59.3617999955779 mg
- Sugar 9.6429790552866 g
- Trans Fat 0.183971016668064 g
- Calories 62 calories
Step-by-step
- DISCLAIMER: I don't deal with measurements. Those indicated above are just guesses. Use your intuition and change it based on your own preferences. There's no right way to do this sort of thing (in my opinion).
- In a large heavy pot (or wok) sauté a bunch of garlic (probably a whole bulb), 1 big piece of grated ginger, a handful of green onion and one large red onion in some butter. Add a couple big spoons of orange juice concentrate. When onion is kind of translucent, add some whole cumin (2 tablespoons maybe?). I’d dry roast the cumin first. My friend later claimed that she never uses cumin. I swear we put in cumin when she showed me and I like it. Anyway, that's where the horrible filthy LIES come into this recipe.
- Throw in some parsley. Ok, fine... she told me cilantro but cilantro tastes like hobos so I use parsley.
- After that, add 1 tsp hot chile powder, 2 or more tbsp of garam masala, oneish tbsp on turmeric, 1 tbsp or so of paprika, 2 or more tbsp of curry powder, salt and pepper. You have to screw around with the spices until it smells right. What’s right? I dunno…
- Of course, the chile should be adjusted to your preference. Don't bother with the dark red stuff for making chile. Use the red hot stuff from an Asian supermarket.
- Add some water… umm just enough to make it goop.
- This mixture will now be referred to as the "spice pot".
- You should have cubed a bunch of chicken at this point, breast or thighs. Dump the chicken into the spice pot. Stir.
- In a separate pot (on very low heat), add 3-4 of the little cans of regular tomato paste. Add some curry juice from the spice pot into the tomato pot. Keep adding juice until the paste is less… uh... pastey.
- After that, pour in cream (or yogurt... or both!) until its at the right consistency. Not too thick, not too thin. Somewhere in between and slightly viscous.
- Once the chicken in the spice pot is cooked add the tomato paste/cream mixture and stir. Screw with the spices until it tastes the way you like.
- Put in a large bowl for serving and throw a little parsley on top.
- Serve with Saffron rice and some yogurt or a mint and cucumber raita.
- Also naan.
- Mmmmm…. naaaaan.
While traditional makhani sauces rely on a slow-simmered tomato and butter emulsion that takes hours to develop depth, this variation builds flavor rapidly through aggressive spice blooming and a split-pot technique that separates the meat from the dairy-heavy sauce base. Sautéing aromatics like minced garlic, grated ginger, and diced red onion in a wide heavy-bottomed wok or Dutch oven ensures even heat distribution, preventing the scorching that frequently ruins delicate spices when moisture levels drop too low. Because this recipe uses a dual-vessel method where the tomato paste and cream are warmed separately before joining the cooked chicken, visual cues replace conventional thermometers to ensure food safety without overcooking the poultry. When cubing chicken breasts or thighs into uniform pieces, watch for the exterior flesh to transition from translucent pink to an opaque, matte white while the internal juices run completely clear when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Incorporating whole cumin seeds that have been dry-roasted in a skillet until aromatic adds an earthy backbone that pre-ground powders simply cannot replicate, grounding the heavy amounts of garam masala and curry powder utilized in the spice pot. Storing any surplus portions in an airtight glass container within the refrigerator for up to three days actually improves the overall profile, as the ground spices continue to meld with the dairy fats and soften their initial sharpness.
