How to make Butter chicken Masala - Indian Non-vegetarian recipes for finger-licking food

 How to make Butter chicken Masala

India, due to its diverse culture, offers vast ranges of dishes that reflect their culture beautifully as each Indian state has its plethora of spices and flavors which are made from scratch. And Indian Non-vegetarian cuisine tops the chart as a lot goes into making these dishes with intricate ingredients to balance flavor into these dishes. So prepare yourself to dive into the world of lip-smacking non-veg recipes from coastal regions of Kerala, Tamil Nadu to the authentic Mughlai cuisines to spicy kolhapuri cuisine there is nothing quite like Indian Non-vegetarian cuisine that tops the list in the food chart as it has garnered attention over the years for its traditional and modern twist to the dishes. So here we have curated the Top 15 Indian Non-vegetarian recipes for you to indulge yourself in cooking for your family and loved ones and try some of the best Indian non-veg dishes. We hope you enjoy making and mastering your expertise.

 

1.Butter Chicken Masala

Butter chicken Masala is a popular dish worldwide for its lip-smacking luscious creamy Masala balances the flavor of cream and butter as it doesn't have much flavor. Butter chicken continues to be hit with various versions as it is served practically in every restaurant. The Tender chicken is marinated with lots of spices overnight for a rich flavor, and if you are in a hurry, you can even marinate it for an hour and start the cooking process.

 

 For a perfect flavor of cream and butter, we are not using more butter as it might change the dish's flavor. Hence we are cooking the word with less butter, but it will have a taste packed aroma at last. Butter chicken Masala is so overrated that every North Indians try to change its version over time for enhancing their culinary skills and modernizing the dish for a more aromatic flavor.

 

 But butter chicken has hearts of many for its cooking as the Tender marinated chicken is roasted or pan-fried and cooked in an incredibly creamy tomato sauce for a rich flavor. 

 

Creamy, rich flavor 

One can also use the boneless chicken for more enhanced flavor with cashew paste which softens the sauce and gives a rich, creamy Masala to the dish. For a substitute, if you don't use cashews, you can use almonds instead by soaking it in hot water and peeling the skin as both cashews and almonds give a rich, creamy flavor to the butter chicken masala. Most restaurants add a big chunk of butter which leads to the bland and oily taste of the dish. So it is better to use an amount of butter in your dish to balance the creamy flavor. 

 

Food coloring 

Before the process, you would have seen that almost the butter chicken masala has a vibrant color due to the food color, so it is best to have a natural shade of tomatoes and spices rather than food coloring. 

 

The Essential part of butter chicken 

The best part about cooking butter chicken masala at home is the ingredients where you can find most of it at home and you can pick it from the grocery store. The best part and one essential for making the butter chicken masala a flavorsome delicacy is it's one of the vital ingredients Kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves which gives mild smokiness to the final touch to the dish. 

 

Butter chicken Masala can be paired with Garlic jeera rice or homemade Kulcha or Naan.

 

How to make Butter chicken Masala 

 

Ingredients 

• 500 gms of Boneless Chicken thighs or breasts skinless. 

 

For Marination

• 2tsp Kashmiri chili powder/cayenne powder 
• 2tsp lemon juice 
• 2tsp salt
• 2tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ cup hung curd
• ½ tsp garam masala

 

For Gravy 

• 2tbsps of butter
• 1tbsp of oil 
• 1-inch cinnamon sticks
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 3 cloves
• 1 tsp mace
• 2tsp of ginger and garlic paste
• 1tsp Kasuri methi
• Salt to taste
• 1tsp Cumin seeds/shahi jeera
• ½ tsp Garam masala 
• ¼ cup Cream
• 1- Onion finely chopped
• 5-6 Tomatoes finely chopped or pureed
• 1 tsp honey or sugar 
• Two green chilies
• 16-18 cashews or almonds blanched and paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder or paprika to suit your taste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Water as needed 
• Coriander leaves to garnish 
• Cubes of butter for garnish 

 

Instructions:

How to make Butter chicken Masala

For Marination:

1.     In a mixing bowl, start by marinating all the ingredients under the Marination. Mix well and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes one can even keep for overnight Marination for more enhanced flavor. 

2.     Secondly for the Gravy heat oil and butter in the frying pan or skillet add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, add chopped onion saute well till the color changes to little Brown. 

3.     Add garlic ginger paste and saute well till both the onions and garlic paste has caramelized into a paste add chopped or pureed tomatoes. 

4.     Cook till the bland the smell of the tomatoes goes and add red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala salt and reduce the flame. 

5.     In another pan add butter and pan fry the marinated chicken till it roasts and cook them on high for 5 minutes then flip it to another side and cook it for another 5 minutes and switch off the flame and keep it aside. 

6.     Now the tomato sauce is cooked well with the aroma of spices, add green chilies, fried chicken pieces and mix well and simmer it for 10minutes. 

7.     Stir in the Kasuri methi and fresh cream and cashew paste, add some water as needed together, and mix well. 

8.     Finally, add honey or sugar for a tangy flavor. 

9.     Garnish it with Coriander leaves and extra cubes of butter simmer it for 10minutes and switch off the flame. 

10. Your butter chicken masala is ready 

11. Serve it with jeera rice or chapati or kulcha. 

12. Enjoy your lip-smacking dish when it is served hot.