Butter chicken
Also, the value of in-person friendships during a pandemic
COVID sucks. I think we can all agree on that. Remember when we had three weeks to flatten the curve? I don’t bring that up as a means of mocking or snarking on anyone. But that was nearly a year ago.
Thankfully, we have a vaccine, and hopefully, by early summer, things will get back to normal. And by normal, I mean concerts, packed sports arenas, stadiums, museums open, working at the office, etc.
For several months last year, Andrea and hosted what we called “Friday Zoom Happy Hour.” A group of friends would all join a Zoom meeting, and we’d have a great time —consuming drinks, laughing about whatever made us laugh, discussing politics — no topic was off-limits.
It was fun, and after time, it died down. And I suppose I am speaking for the entire group when I say that what we all missed was the actual interaction. Put 7-8 people in a room, and there are several conversations taking place at once. On a Zoom call, everyone has to wait for one person to stop speaking before they can talk. It’s not the same.
About two months ago, after having several of our friends over for dinner, we decided to make it a weekly event at the Caruso household. We called it Tuesday Supper Club, and each week, a different person would cook the meal. We drink wine, converse, laugh, and eat great food.
In-person.
And it’s so much more satisfying than staring at faces on a screen.
It doesn’t matter if one is an introvert or an extrovert. People require human (in-person) interaction. It’s no surprise that people have witnessed an increase in drug abuse, suicide, and crime during the pandemic.
The faster people get vaccinated, the better. Even if normal limits itself to large groups of friends gathering together once a week to have dinner.
Now…butter chicken.
Admittedly, I’ve eaten some Indian food made at home, and that was curry chicken. I never went to an Indian restaurant until last fall when I read a Washington Post review of Bansari Indian Cuisine in Vienna (Virginia!). Andrea and I visited, and it was so good. I had butter chicken and immediately wanted to eat it again. I thought to myself, “I have to cook this at some point.”
The good news is, it’s pretty easy to make. There are quite a few ingredients, and you’ll need a deep skillet if you’re cooking for 5 or more people. You’ll also need a blender or, at the very least, an immersion blender. Jasmine or basmati rice works well, but riced cauliflower is a great option if you're watching calories.
Enjoy!
For the chicken marinade:
28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup plain yogurt (You can use plain greek yogurt, too)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger (or finely grated) (You can also use ground ginger, but add 1 1/2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons garam masala (Your most important ingredient in this dish)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon of salt
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
1 large onion, sliced or chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or finely grated (Again, use
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
28 oz crushed tomatoes (You may not need all of it. Start with half and continue to add more)
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 cup of heavy or thickened cream (or evaporated milk to save calories)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the chicken marinade ingredients; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
Heat butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. (You might need to deglaze if the chicken got stuck, so have a bottle of white wine nearby!)
Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder, and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown-red color.
Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender, and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir in the cream through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
Serve it over rice and add some parsley or cilantro to give it some more color.