FOOD NEWS
15 Tips You Need When Cooking Butter Chicken
BY AISHA MOKTADIER
Proper Marination
Butter chicken is a delicious Indian dish with a creamy tomato sauce and flavorful, tender chicken, achieved by marinating the meat overnight in yogurt and spices.
Use full-fat, regular yogurt seasoned with Garam masala, ginger, and garlic, which will leave your chicken tasty and tender thanks to its lactic acid and calcium content.
Use Table Cream
Rather than heavy cream, which has 36% fat, use table cream which ranges from 18% to 30% fat, resulting in a lighter sauce that is still creamy and flavorful.
The fat content of table cream is just high enough that the sauce won’t break apart due to the tomatoes’ acidity while remaining low enough that the dish doesn’t end up too rich.
Add Fenugreek
Some butter chicken recipes call for fenugreek, a Mediterranean herb with a syrup-like sweet flavor that will give the sauce a harmonious, balanced flavor.
Alongside its sweetness, fenugreek is just bitter enough to cut through the richness of the butter and cream in the curry, while blending well with the tomatoes and other spices.
Use Ghee
Ghee is a type of clarified butter popular in Southeast Asia and is known for having a stronger flavor profile than butter, making it an obvious swap for butter chicken.
Since ghee has a stronger flavor, start by using 2 tablespoons per 1 ½ to 2 pounds of meat. Add it when sauteing the veggies, and then add an extra tablespoon to the finished dish.
Try Boxed Spice
If you’re hoping to save time without sacrificing flavor, boxed spice mixes can be a lifesaver. Just be sure to use one that is high-quality.
Boxed spice mixes typically come pre-measured and blended, saving time and effort. Plus, they ensure a more consistent result and balanced flavor time and again.