Butter Chicken (Mughalai)

Butter Chicken is a popular main course dish world wide. Punjabi Butter Chicken has mainly creamy tomato gravy and light spices for flavour. Mughalai Butter Chicken or Chicken Makhanwala is a rich dish and calorie conscious people better avoid eating excess of this item. This formula of mine is a success and a super hit at its first edition.

The added dry fruits give that typical Mughalai taste to this dish. Here it is, the most popular Mughalai curry, Butter Chicken. 

Ingredients:
1. Chicken tikka(Tandoori) - 2 plates(16 pieces), shredded(if boneless)
2. Kashmiri chilli powder - 4 tbsp(Or 20 Kashmiri chillies soaked in water and ground to fine paste)
3. Sugar - 1 tsp
4. Salt  - To taste
5. Kasoori methi - 1 tbsp
6. Whipped whole cream - 25-50 ml
7. Tomato puree - 50-75 ml
8. Cashew bits - 50 gms soaked for 30 mins in warm water, ground to a fine paste
9. Onions - 250 gms sliced, shallow browned with little oil and ground to a paste
10. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
11. Gharam Masala powder - 1 tbsp
12. Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
13. Dhania powder - 1 tsp
14. White Pepper powder  - 1 tsp
15. Cashew pieces  - 10 gms roasted
16. Raisins  - 10 gms(raw)
17. Cherry(Optional) - 20 gms cut into 4
18. Coriander leaves - A handful, chopped
19. Refined vegetable oil - 25 ml
20. Hot water(Optional) - 200-500 ml



Method:
1. Heat oil in a kadai. Fry brown onion paste and ginger-garlic paste with little salt and 1 tsp sugar till oil leaves the sides.
2. Add Kashmiri chilli paste or powder and Kasoori methi and fry for 2 mins.
3. Add tomato puree and fry till raw smell disappears.
4. Add Jeera Dhania and White pepper powder, mix well.
5. Add in the cashew  paste, saute well.
6. Stir in the chicken tikka, salt to taste, and little hot water if necessary. Cook for 5 mins.
7. Add Gharam masala powder, mix well. Cook till gravy is thick.
8. Transfer to serving bowl, top-up with whipped cream and dry fruits. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with Naan, Phulka, Paratha, Roti or Ghee Rice.