Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken....The name itself sounds yummylicious..isn't it??? And by far the most loved non-veg option in northern part of India. Of course it is high in calories.. but some it is perfectly ok to overlook these numbers and listen to your taste buds. I can't tell u the number of times I have gone to restaurants where my 1st preference is  butter chicken with  garlic naan..Then finally I learned this from my these days GURU...i.e. internet :). Today I made this for lunch & it turns out superb!!!  ...so friends here is the recipe..

Ingredients:

Chicken- 1 lb (Boneless) cubed
3 tbsp of cashews (soak them in water)
Poppy seeds- 1tsp (optional)
Garlic cloves- 3-4 nos
1 large tomato 
2 green chillies
Turmeric powder- 1tsp
Curd/ yogurt- 1tblsp
1 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder (use Kashmiri chilli powder to give the gravy a nice color )
2 onions minced
Whole garam masala( 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamoms)
1 tsp of garam masala 
1tsp chicken masala (Optional)
1 tblsp of kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
1 tblsp cream
1tblsp tomato ketchup
Salt as per the taste
Butter- 2tblsp
coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Marinate the chicken cubes with salt, turmeric powder, & yogurt. Keep it covered for 1 hour.

Blend cashews, Poppy seeds, Garlic cloves, tomato & green chilies together & make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Heat butter in a non-stick pan. Add whole garam masalas to this. Now add minced onion & sauté till translucent.
Throw in dried fenugreek leaves sauté for 3-4 sec, add red chilli powder don’t let it burn immediately add the blended paste to it. It will give a nice colour to the gravy.
Add chicken masala to it, Sauté for 5-7 mins till raw smell disappears & oil begins to appears in the masala. Now put the marinated chicken to it & mix well with masala. Add tomato ketchup to it. Stir for 5-7 min uncovered. 
The chicken will let out more water. Now cook covered for 8-10 mins until the chicken is soft & the gravy becomes thick. Just check once or twice in between and give the curry a stir. (If required you can add half cup of water to it).
When done, add the cream. Mix well & now add garam masala powder to it. Give it a good stir, Adjust salt, garnish with the coriander leaves, and remove from fire. Serve hot with naan, pulao, or plain rice