Butter chicken

Credit and permission to share: The Future.

I will never forget (sometime in the late 90’s) sitting with Mam around a PC in our family terraced house I grew up in.  For some reason, Mam decided the place to buy a personal computer was Waitrose (we weren’t Waitrose shoppers).  Anyway, the PC also came with a free email so we immediately decided to set one up - a family email, even though we had no one to email and were aware that you should never trust the internet.  The email was clkj@waitrose.com and I reckon no one ever got an email from that address. 

After hours setting up, we sat at the tiny fold away desk, plugged everything in, disabled the landline (remember, you couldn’t get internet without using the landline and preventing anyone else from using the phone).  After some noises and rumblings, I looked at Mam, she looked at me, and she said ‘are we surfing’.

To this day I have no fucking idea if we were surfing or not, but I will remember that moment for ever.

#InternationalShareYourRecipeStoryDay is celebrated on my Mam’s birthday.  And I think it is fitting to add the final two recipe stories here, via AI.

Ingredients

• 500g chicken (boneless, cut into pieces)

• 1 cup yogurt

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• Salt to taste

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 large onion (finely chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1 inch ginger (grated)

• 1 cup tomato puree

• 1 cup heavy cream

• Fresh coriander leaves (for garnish)

  
  

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt. Add the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight).

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until golden brown.

3. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for another minute until fragrant.

4. Add the marinated chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides.

5. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.

6. Reduce the heat and add the heavy cream, stirring until well combined. Let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

   
   

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.

• Pair with a side of cucumber raita for added freshness.