8
Nov
One of the things I miss about living in Toronto is getting the quarterly LCBO magazine, Food & Drink. The recipes are some of the best I’ve ever tried, including this Butter Chicken.

Seriously, this is a dish that you’ll want to break out when you really want to impress. It looks like it’s complicated, but really it’s just the same ingredients added repeatedly at different stages of the process. Especially a garlic-ginger purée that’s super easy to make and can be frozen for other uses.


- Chicken marinating in a spiced yogurt mixture.

Tomatoes and spices boiling down.

Sieving the tomato mixture after it has reduced.
I made this for the latest Monday Night Supper Club potluck, which happened to be on Halloween. I dressed up in a beautiful sari I received as a gift and went East Indian style! Lori Andrews over at The 10 Cent Designer made this Cucumber Dill Salad that went perfectly.
Butter Chicken – Slightly adapted from LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2008 Amaya Restaurant Toronto
Combine and let marinate for 20 minutes:
lb./454 g chicken or 1 block/454 g extra firm tofu
1 tsp ginger puree (recipe below)
1 tsp garlic puree (recipe below)
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp garam masala
If using chicken, bake at 425 F for 10-12 mins.
In a large pan combine and let simmer (med-low heat) until tomatoes are breaking down (about 25 mins):
1 can (2 cups/16 oz.) diced tomatoes, juices reserved
2 tsp ginger puree
2 tsp garlic puree
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cup reserved tomato juice
Puree mixture in a blender/food processor and strain back into a clean pan. Add:
1 tsp cayenne pepper
And let simmer until it begins to thicken (about 5 mins). If using chicken, add it here with all its juices.
Gradually wisk in:
1/4 cup butter, diced
1 tsp ginger puree
1/3 cup whipping cream
Let simmer another 5 mins. If using tofu, add it in now as well as:
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Can be stored in fridge for up to 5 days or frozen. Tastes excellent the next day after the flavours have had time to fully incorporate!
Saffron Rice
1 cup basmati rice
3/4 tsp saffron threads
2 Tbsp butter
3 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cups boiling water
salt to taste
Rinse rice well then soak for 30 mins and drain. Soak saffron threads in 2 tbsp milk. Heat butter in a pot with cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick. Add rice, milk, boiling water, salt and saffron. Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed (15 to 20
mins). Fluff with a fork before serving.
Ginger and/or Garlic Puree
10 cloves garlic
2″ piece fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
Process garlic and/or ginger in a food processor until smooth. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Happy Cooking!
Jacinthe
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Tags: basmati, bay leaves, butter, butter chicken with tofu, butter tofu, cardamom, cayenne, chicken, cinnamon, clove, garam masala, garlic, ginger, Indian cooking, milk, rice, saffron, tofu, tomato, whipping cream, yogurt
I’ve been looking for a butter chicken recipe since… forever! Glad to have found your blog:) I, too, am a Calgarian!
Yay! Love meeting other bloggers from Calgary. 🙂
Oh my god! This was so delicious when we had it a couple weeks ago. I’ve never tried to make butter chicken before, but now I am inspired! 🙂
Let me know how it goes!