Authentic Butter Chicken

Directions

If you can’t find ready-made Tandoori chicken locally at a takeout Indian restaurant, use a slow-cooked barbecue chicken from the supermarket, or you could use leftover cooked chicken meat. For example, the BBQ-cooked chicken that Costco sells, as do nearly all supermarkets these days, works perfectly well in this recipe.

For the spices, if you can’t locate the more exotic Indian spices in Western supermarkets (Jeera Powder, Dhaniya Powder, Kasuri Methi Powder, Kashmiri Lal Mirch), substitute store-bought Masala spice mix that is much more readily found, or in a pinch you can use your favorite curry powder.

How to make butter chicken

De-bone the tandoori chicken and shred it into small pieces.

In a kadhai (large high-sided skillet), heat the oil over medium-high heat until just barely beginning to smoke. Add the minced ginger, garlic paste, and sauté - about 30 seconds.

Now add tomato puree and cook; about 7-8 minutes, reducing heat to medium.

Once the sauce starts thickening, add all of the dry spices (Indian spice mixes) and a little salt (be careful not to over-season with the salt as tandoori chicken is already salted, and some Masala spice mixes may already contain salt). Cook, stirring until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add milk, sugar, ½ cup water, and cook again for few more minutes.

Now add shredded chicken to this curry sauce and cook - about 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce heat; add the cream (reserve about one tablespoon for garnishing) and mix gently.

Remove from heat, garnish with the reserved cream, and serve hot with tandoori roti or naan (flatbread, substitute pita if you can’t find naan).