I went to the original restaurant (now franchise) for butter chicken in Delhi, Daryaganj. The story of butter chicken is that the restaurant owner, Kundan Lal Jaggi, threw some leftover tandoori chicken into a tomato gravy rich with butter to make a more filling meal for a guest dining at his restaurant. I think my version is tastier. Charring the marinated chicken on a dry surface is key to the success of this dish. As is working 24 hours ahead – it makes a noticeable difference if the chicken is left to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Butter Chicken
Serves 6-8 as part of a shared meal
Ingredients
• 1.3kg boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 5cm cubes
Marinade
• 500g plain yoghurt
• 2-3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp hot red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp fine white sea salt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
Butter chicken sauce
• 600g tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp fine pink salt
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp fine black pepper
• 125g chilled butter, finely diced
To finish
• ¼ cup kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• ¼ cup (60ml) cream
• finely diced red onion, to garnish
• lime wedges, to serve
Method
To make the marinade, whisk the yoghurt with the water in a large bowl. This thins the yoghurt and draws forward its acidity, one of the power players in chicken. Stir through all the marinade spices and the lime juice. (The Kashmiri chilli powder is key here: a standard chilli powder would reach into the char of the chicken and create a driving and drying heat that would overwhelm the rich makhani sauce, the floral/herbaceous element of dried fenugreek leaves, and the end drizzle of cream. The subtlety of Kashmiri chilli powder keeps the masala pretty.) Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, then mix well. Marinate in the fridge overnight. If you forget to start the day before, marinate for as long as possible before cooking. The best cooking vessel is a large cast-iron kadai or wok. You could also use a flat indoor grill plate or barbecue (grill) plate. It needs a cast-iron surface that will conduct high heat and char the chicken without oils or fats. I work in batches, spreading the chicken pieces in a single layer on the bottom and up the sides of the kadai and cooking them over high heat on the stovetop, without moving them, until they start to char. I then flip them and char the other side. This takes about 5 minutes per batch.
Once the pieces are charred but not cooked through, I set them aside in a bowl. The charring makes this dish grown up and smoky. It also makes the creaminess of the makhani sauce pop. Reduce the heat to medium, pour the leftover marinade into the kadai and cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping in any charred pieces from the bottom and side. Add the tomato passata and the butter chicken sauce spices to the kadai, then stir through for 2-3 minutes until the passata heats and the masala is no longer raw. It should bubble just a little.
Return the charred chicken to the kadai, then stir through. Simmer for 5 minutes over a medium-low heat. Add the butter and stir through, then increase the heat to medium. Once the sauce is bubbling evenly, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through – about 10 minutes. Add the dried kasoori methi and cream, stirring through until hot. Serve immediately with naan or rice, garnished with red onion and with a wedge of lime on the side.
Dal Makhani
This isn’t a dish on our regular family roster, and I can safely say that would be pretty much true for any family across India’s regions.
The weight and richness of dal makhani makes it a “sometimes” dish, one that’s ordered when eating out, probably alongside tandoor-cooked naan.
It demonstrates the effect of fleur de sel, showing how a single change in masala introduces a new library of sensory information.
Serves 8 as part of a meal
24 hours before cooking
• ¾ cup (150g) urad dal (black lentils)
• ¼ cup (50g) rajma (red kidney beans)
• plenty of cold water
For pressure cooking
• 3 cups (750ml) water
• 2 tsp fine white sea salt
For the main cooking phase
• 40g salted butter
• 40g ghee
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• ½ cup tomato paste (concentrated purée)
Masala
• 2 tsp fleur de sel (available at specialty stores)
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp Ammi’s garam masala (see below)
For simmering
• 1½ cups (375ml) water
To finish
• 20g salted butter
• ¼ cup (125ml) pouring cream
• ½ tsp red chilli powder (optional)
Ammi’s Garam Masala
This recipe makes enough garam masala to use for a little while. If you don’t think you’ll use it much, make a half quantity. You don’t want to keep freshly ground whole spices for longer than a few months.
Makes 1½ cups (150g)
Ingredients
• 1 cup black cardamom seeds
• ½ cup green cardamom pods
• 1/3 cup cumin seeds
• 1½ tbsp cloves
• 1½ tbsp of mace flower
• 4 large dried bay leaves
• 2 nutmegs
• 1 cinnamon stick
Grind together. (Do not toast.) Store in a dark place in an airtight container.
Method
Soak the urad dal and rajma in plenty of cold water in separate bowls for 24 hours or at least overnight. Drain the soaked dal and beans, then put them in a pressure cooker with the water and salt. Set on high heat and cook until the pressure cooker emits three or four jets of steam. Reduce the heat to medium, then cook for a further 15-20 minutes. Let the pressure cooker depressurise on its own, then check the dal. When cooked, the lentils and beans should hold their shape but be soft enough to mash. If not, pressure-cook for a little longer, then mash.
Alternatively, cook the dal and rajma in a slow cooker or large, heavy-based saucepan. Ensure the lentils and beans are soaked for the full 24 hours, then cook in plenty of boiling water for about 90 minutes or until tender. Mash when cooked. For the main cooking phase, place a large heavy-based saucepan (I use a large Le Creuset casserole) over a medium heat, then add the butter and ghee and cook until melted. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until translucent but not caramelised. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 2-3 minutes until the raw aroma dissipates. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until it no longer smells raw. Add the masala and stir. Add the mashed urad dal and rajma mix, then stir again. Lower the heat and add a third of the water. Stir frequently to prevent it sticking and burning and to ensure a creamier result. When the water has worked into the dal, add another third and cook as before until worked into the dal. Repeat with the remaining water until the dal is rich and creamy. To finish, stir in the butter and cream – and the chilli, if using. Serve with basmati rice.
Masoor dal
Split red lentils, or masoor dal, make a dal that lacks the structure and integrity of split chickpea or yellow split pigeon pea dals. It must be prepared differently, creating structure by using spices and produce that give the dal texture and tiers. Get started at least an hour beforehand to give the lentils time to soak.
Serves 6-8 as part of a shared meal
Ingredients
• 1½ cups (305g) masoor dal (split red lentils)
• 3 cups (750ml) water
• generous 1 tsp fine pink salt
• 1 tsp fine white sea salt
• scant 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 x 2cm piece of jaggery
Fenugreek carrot
• 2 carrots, cut into 2-3cm pieces
• ½ cup (125ml) whey or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp fine pink salt
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• scant ½ tsp fenugreek powder
Curry leaf tadka
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• 1½ tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 2-3 fresh curry leaf sprigs
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Method
Rinse and drain the lentils repeatedly in a large bowl until the water is clear, then add enough cold water to cover them by about 4cm. Soak for 1 hour. Drain, then rinse one last time. Transfer to a pressure cooker or large heavy-based saucepan and add the water, salts, turmeric powder and jaggery. Pressure-cook for 5 minutes or boil over a medium heat for up to 35 minutes until soft. Set aside and keep warm. Mix all the fenugreek carrot ingredients in a small saucepan, then place over medium-low heat. Bring to the boil, then cook for 15-20 minutes until the carrots are just soft. Stir into the cooked dal. Taste the dal to compare with the final taste. Combine all the tadka ingredients in a small saucepan or frying pan, then stir together. Warm through over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until the curry leaves and mustard seeds are popping and fragrant but the garlic is not browned – about 5 minutes. Stir into the cooked dal. Serve with basmati rice.
An edited extract from What We Call Masala, by Sarina Kamini (Murdoch Books, RRP $55).
