Growing up, we were a fairly traditional "meat-and-potatoes" kind of family. Mom had us three children to take care of and our Dad selflessly worked shift work...I'm sure that didn't leave much time to be thinking of extravagant meals. As I've grown older, I've unleashed my palette to the wonders of Asian and Indian cuisine and I must say...it's been an unforgettable journey!!
When my friend said she was coming over and making me butter chicken I could hardly wait! Here's what I knew about butter chicken: it was an Indian dish, it had chicken, and it had butter. I hung my head in shame as I admitted to my friend that I had never eaten it before. For SHAME, I thought! I've had beef vindaloo and countless amounts of curries before, but never this dish - the most popular East Indian dish in the world! I felt humbled and honoured to be a part of the cooking process but most of all grateful that I would be a part of the eating process too.
Something interesting I learned about butter chicken is that it is a tomato-based recipe! I never knew that! We sauteed onions and garlic (really...is there any better smell??) and added cubed chicken thighs (they stay juicier). Then we added tomato sauce, butter, cream, milk, garam masala, cayenne, paprika and salt and stirred until it thickened.
As the butter chicken was simmering, my friend prepared basmati rice, roasted carrots, and wilted spinach. The carrots were coated with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper and put in the oven. We didn't notice that the oven temperature was too high so the carrots came out looking like sweet potato fries! I thought it was a wonderful accident - they tasted delicious! The spinach was wilted simply in a frying pan with a bit of salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
What is the key to any Indian dish though?? Baked NAAN BREAD: a vehicle with which to sop up and soak up sauce.
Eating this butter chicken was pure delight! The garam masala added pungency without the intense spice of a curry dish and the tomato sauce, butter, cream, and milk combined in a heavenly, creamy sauce that was absorbed beautifully by the naan bread. I found the best way to eat this was to have a mouthful of the butter chicken with rice followed by a crunchy, roasted carrot and finished with a bite of zesty spinach to clean my palette. The key was repeating this process about 30 times until I was left with a plate full of left over sauce to be cleaned up by my last bite of naan.
What a gorgeous first experience with this dish. I can never fully repay my friend for introducing it to me and I will be forever in her debt.
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