Chicken Makhani: Behind the Scenes

Chicken Makhani for an army

Lined up and ready to go!

The day/night before potluck exchange is a doozy. This is when I bust out my roasting pans and cook army-style. I try to do the prep work earlier in the day (yeah, right!), and cook early evening (or in this case, early morning). This time I made Chicken Makhani, Indian Butter Chicken. Next time, I will cook this dish with chicken legs and thighs (instead of chicken breasts) so that it yields a super succulent and tender texture. I've adapted the recipe from allrecipes.com, and substituted a few ingredients:

Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup tomato puree
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon almond meal (ground almonds)
1/4 cup water

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce. Add honey to sweeten and balance flavors. Stir in almond meal to thicken sauce, adding more if necessary. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.