On this Father’s Day, I would love to share a recipe from my own father but unfortunately the kitchen was not his forte. Rather, it is my father-in-law, Rajan, who has developed an interest in mastering a small repertoire of dishes. One of his most celebrated dishes in our family is the ever popular Murgh Makhani, or Butter Chicken.
During the early 1950s, my father-in- law’s Punjabi family, long settled in New Delhi, would head to the original Moti Mahal in Daryaganj to savour the tandoori fare of kebabs and rotis, dal makhani and their famous Murgh Makhani. As a teenager he and his friends would visit the cheaper copycat dhabas along Pandara Road to get their Punjabi tandoori fix.
In1970, my in-laws moved to Canada. A big part of their culture shock (bigger perhaps than the ice and snow of their first Canadian winter) was learning how to cook their own meals for the first time in their lives. Following my wife’s birth, each summer the three of them would return to Delhi and inevitably one of their first meals would be takeaway of butter chicken, dal makhani and rotis from Moti Mahal.
It wasn’t until the early 1990s that my father-in-law would actually attempt to make his own homemade version. I have known him for over 15 years and have tasted the evolution of his recipe and even after living in India and travelling the country from top to bottom I can honestly say that have yet to meet a Butter Chicken which rivals my father-in-law’s. Perhaps it is the ‘andaaz’ (loose estimation) of his spicing; or the addition of whole cumin seeds which provide a randomly pleasant crunch; or that his recipe is based on bringing together his past and future communities- early taste memories of Delhi friends and family and later sharing his favourite meals with newly made friends in Canada. The one thing that I am sure of is that when Rajan makes Butter Chicken ‘hat mai jadoo hain’, there is magic in his hands.
Happy Father’s Day!
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken breast (each breast half cut into 2 or 3 pieces) or 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces ** or substitute 2 pounds paneer, cut into large cubes
- Marinade
- 1 teaspoon Indian red chile powder, or cayenne
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (homemade or store-bought)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Generous pinch of saffron threads
- Sauce
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 teaspoon Indian red chile powder, or cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 cups pureed tomatoes, canned or fresh (if using fresh, peel and puree)
- About ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional), ground into powder
- Handful coarsely chopped coriander leaves
- In a medium bowl stir together chile powder, lime juice, and oil, add chicken, and turn to coat. In a small bowl mix yogurt and remaining marinade ingredients, then pour over the chicken. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove chicken pieces from marinade (you can brush off excess marinade) and place on a large baking pan in the upper third of the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes; chicken will be starting to brown but not cooked quite through. Remove from the oven and set aside. Or better yet, grill chicken pieces on a barbeque.
- Put 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes, or until transparent. Add the garlic and ginger, the cumin seeds and powder, coriander, garam masala, red chile powder, and salt, and cook, stirring, for two to three minutes. Add the tomato puree, stir to blend, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the roasted chicken to the simmering sauce and cook over medium heat at a strong simmer for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, and then add the cream and stir. Remove from the heat and taste for salt. Sprinkle the fenugreek powder and garnish with coriander leaves just before serving.