Let me take you back to Pakistan, Peshawar and Gora Bazaar where some 100 years ago Punjabi Mocha Singh Lamba started a small roadside restaurant known as a dhaba. His young chef Kunda Lal Gujral one day decided to experiment by marinating pieces of chicken in spiced yoghurt, skewering them and then placing them in the clay oven – or tandoor (which at the time was used only for bread). The results were incredible and that was the birth of the now world famous tandoori chicken.
After Independence in 1947 both Mokha Singh Lamba and Kundan Lal Gujral migrated to Delhi’s Darya Ganj, and started a restaurant there, Moti Mahal. Their famous tandoori chicken migrated with them much to local approval. Although the chicken dish was popular they would often have left over chicken which was a problem as there were no refrigerators around at the time. The young experimental chef, Kundan, came with another genius idea. He created a tomato gravy for the chicken, which not only transformed its flavour but also kept it moist. And that culinary jewel is what the world now knows as butter chicken.
Butter chicken is traditionally made with boneless chicken tandoori pieces and is characterised by a slight tanginess, sweetness and spiciness. The addition of butter to the tomato gravy creates a beautiful velvety texture. Unfortunately, I find that modern day butter chicken has become too sweet and less subtle in its character. I wanted to bring it back to its roots; to something closer to the version I had the privilege of eating when travelling around India a few years ago.
However, there was a major stumbling block I that had to overcome – I don’t have a tandoor to replicate that wonderfully charred and smokey chicken. So what to do? Well I tried a couple of options. Firstly, I barbecued the marinated chicken on a grill, which worked really well. Secondly, I baked it in the oven for a short while on a high heat, to recreate the caramelised exterior – this also worked really well, and is the version I have posted here.
So having played around with a number of iterations of this dish I am now settled on one – well for now at least – I guess cooks and chefs are always happy to try and improve.
For this butter chicken recipe we are going to marinate chicken pieces with the bone in – it adds flavour to the meat and seems to cook better in the absence of the tandoor. The marinade itself has a base of Greek yoghurt, garam masala, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, smoked paprika – to simulate the smokiness of the tandoor – and the juice of a lime. The chicken is marinated overnight to enhance the flavour throughout, but also the acidity from the yoghurt and lime will tenderise the chicken.
Just as an aside, garam masala is a spice blend that can be bought; I just usually make my own though using coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
The chicken is baked until browned and fragrant. The sauce is the key here though – this has taken the longest to adapt to something I was super happy with; and by that I mean authentic. I use pulped tomatoes, fenugreek leaves, soft brown sugar, garam masala, cream and of course a little butter – ok, so maybe not a little but more of a slab – it’s very much worth it though.
The chicken and the sauce are then brought together like long lost lovers, cooked together and become butter chicken…a dish that I am sure would grace the streets of Darya Ganj! So, with that Let’s get cooking!
