Delicious Smoked Butter Chicken

“This is the best butter chicken you ever made” my son screamed, as he ate it licking his fingers. I knew what he meant when I tasted it myself. This time it tasted different from what I usually make. Yes, it was the smoky flavour I infused into it with a burning coal and also the earthenware dish that I baked the chicken in that did all the magic. The earthy smoky flavour was sensational and so delicious! We just loved it and ate it all.

This is actually a quick and easy version of the traditional butter chicken which can also be made by marinating chicken breast pieces for just 1/2 an hour and quickly broiling them before adding them to the butter sauce.

For a non spicy version you could use less kashmiri mirch and omit the green chillies in the gravy. It still tastes delicious without the heat from the chillies.

Also softening the onions and tomatoes in butter and blending them together before adding the whole spices saves time. You don’t have to strain the sauce.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
2lb chicken breasts

For the tandoori marinade:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 tsp desi tandoori masala powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp  garam masala powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp  ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt – to taste
2 tbs olive/vegetable oil

For the butter gravy:
1 x 1″ cinnamon stick
4 cloves
4 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
6 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 small onion (1/4 cup finely chopped)
3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (1 cup deseeded and finely chopped)
2 green chillies deseeded
1 tsp grated ginger or ginger juliennes
1/2 a cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tbs fresh lemon juice

Instructions:
Clean wash the chicken breasts, drain, towel dry and cut into medium size cubes. Rub them with salt and lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile whisk the greek yoghurt, add all the masalas for the marinade then vegetable oil and mix well together so there are no lumps. Taste and adjust the salt. (The tandoori masala powder already has salt in it so taste before adding any salt.

Marinate the chicken with the prepared tandoori masala for 1/2 an hour. Place the marinated chicken in a lined cookie sheet under the broiler in the oven, preheated at 500°F for 5 -6 minutes on each side or until they are slightly charred. Alternatively you could either bbq the chicken pieces or even skewer and grill them.

Switch off the oven. Light a piece of charcoal and place it in a tin foil cup (shape the tin foil like a small cup to hold the burning coal). Place the tinfoil cup on top of the chicken pieces in the centre of the cookie sheet. Drop a small blob of ghee (clarified butter) on the burning coal. When it smokes, cover with another cookie sheet on top and leave for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, chopped tomatoes and sauté them in the butter till the onions are translucent and the tomatoes soften a bit. Remove from the pan, make a purée and set aside.

Now add more butter to the same pan and throw in the whole spices (cloves, green & black cardamoms, bay leaf, fennel seeds, whole black pepper corn) followed by ginger juliennes and split green chillies (optional). Now add the onion tomato purée (from the previous step) to the pan, sauté well with the whole spices for 2 minutes then add 2 heaped tsp tomato paste and continue to sauté. Add half a cup of water and mix well to form a butter gravy.

Remove the burning coal from the grilled chicken and transfer this smoke flavoured chicken with all its juices to the butter sauce in the saucepan. Drizzle the whipping cream generously into the chicken gravy after keeping aside 1 or 2 tbs for garnish. Let it simmer for 5 mins or until the gravy thickens a bit.

As a final step, crush the kasoori methi in between the palms of your hands (keep it in the centre of your left palm and crush it with the heel of your right palm ) so as to release the aroma then dust it into the butter chicken gravy. Simmer for 2 more minutes.

Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle more whipping cream on top. Serve hot with fresh baked naan, tandoori roti or saffron rice. Enjoy!

Notes:
1. To make the chicken more flavourful, skewer the chicken pieces and grill them under the broiler in the oven for 6 minutes on each side. Do not over grill as it will lose all its juicy texture. Remove as soon as you see brown spots appearing on the chicken. The best method is of course using the barbecued chicken pieces in the butter gravy which gives the smoky flavour.
2. An unglazed earthenware dish infuses an earthy flavour which is very appealing to the taste. If you do not have one, a regular one is fine.
3. If you want a very smooth gravy you can infuse the melted butter by adding the whole spices to it and then remove them before sautéing the onions and tomatoes to the butter and blending them.

4. Also line the cookie sheet with tin foil and not parchment paper as it can catch fire or flare up. The tin foil keeps the cookie sheet clean.

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Print Recipe

Delicious Smoked Butter Chicken

This is a delicious smoked version of the traditional butter chicken dish which is sensational!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Dinner, Non Vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: butter chicken, chicken, chicken makhani, creamy chicken, tandoori chicken

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Mamasecretrecipes

Equipment

• Equipment: Baking pan, wooden or metal skewers

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken breasts

For the tandoori marinade:

• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 2 tsp desi tandoori masala powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• salt - to taste
• 2 tbs Olive/vegetable oil

For the butter gravy

• 1 x 1" cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamoms
• 2 black cardamoms
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 medium sized onion 1/2 cup finely chopped
• 3 medium sized fresh tomatoes 1 cup deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 green chillies deseeded
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 a cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp kasoori methi dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Instructions:

• Clean wash the chicken breasts, drain, towel dry and cut into medium size cubes. Rub them with salt and lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile whisk the greek yoghurt, add all the masalas for the marinade then vegetable oil and mix well together so there are no lumps. Taste and adjust the salt. (The tandoori masala powder already has salt in it so taste before adding any salt.
• Marinate the chicken with the prepared tandoori masala for 1/2 an hour. Place the marinated chicken in a lined cookie sheet under the broiler in the oven, preheated at 500°F for 5 -6 minutes on each side or until they are slightly charred. Alternatively you could either bbq the chicken pieces or even skewer and grill them.
• Switch off the oven. Light a piece of charcoal and place it in a tin foil cup (shape the tin foil like a small cup to hold the burning coal). Place the tinfoil cup on top of the chicken pieces in the centre of the cookie sheet. Drop a small blob of ghee (clarified butter) on the burning coal. When it smokes, cover with another cookie sheet on top and leave for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, chopped tomatoes and sauté them in the butter till the onions are translucent and the tomatoes soften a bit. Remove from the pan, make a purée and set aside.
• Now add more butter to the same pan and throw in the whole spices (cloves, green & black cardamoms, bay leaf, fennel seeds, whole black pepper corn) followed by ginger juliennes and split green chillies (optional). Now add the onion tomato purée (from the previous step) to the pan, sauté well with the whole spices for 2 minutes then add 2 heaped tsp tomato paste and continue to sauté. Add half a cup of water and mix well to form a butter gravy.
• Remove the burning coal from the grilled chicken and transfer this smoke flavoured chicken with all its juices to the butter sauce in the saucepan. Drizzle the whipping cream generously into the chicken gravy after keeping aside 1 or 2 tbs for garnish. Let it simmer for 5 mins or until the gravy thickens a bit.
• As a final step, crush the kasoori methi in between the palms of your hands (keep it in the centre of your left palm and crush it with the heel of your right palm ) so as to release the aroma then dust it into the butter chicken gravy. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
• Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle more whipping cream on top. Serve hot with fresh baked naan, tandoori roti or saffron rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Notes: 

To make the chicken more flavourful, skewer the chicken pieces and grill them under the broiler in the oven for 6 minutes on each side. Do not over grill as it will lose all its juicy texture. Remove as soon as you see brown spots appearing on the chicken. The best method is of course using the barbecued chicken pieces in the butter gravy which gives the smoky flavour.

An unglazed earthenware dish infuses an earthy flavour which is very appealing to the taste. If you do not have one, a regular one is fine.

If you want a very smooth gravy you can infuse the melted butter by adding the whole spices to it and then remove them before sautéing the onions and tomatoes to the butter and blending them.

Also line the cookie sheet with tin foil and not parchment paper as it can catch fire or flare up. The tin foil keeps the cookie sheet clean. 

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