Veg Chicken Makhni

I don’t like butter chicken, or the many spices or sugar which goes into it. So this is basically a karhai recipe with a bit of added ghee and cream.

ingredients

1. Seitan based fake chicken, 250 grams
2. 3 tomatoes diced
3. 2 chillis cut into semi-large pieces (4 green or 2 green and 2 red)
4. 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
5. 1/4 cup cream
6. coriander, chopped

spices

1. 1/4 tsp chilli power to taste - just a dash
2. 1/4 tsp garam masala
3. 1 tsp salt
4. Black pepper ground
5. a pinch of haldi i.e less than a 1/4 tsp

Optional spices:

1. 1/4 tsp coriander powder
2. 1/4 tsp cumin powder

steps

1. use a frying pan with a lid (or a wok) - though lid is not really needed
2. heat oil, add chillis, ginger and garlic paste + salt, add chicken and fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add 2 tabespoons yogurt, fry for 2 more minutes
4. add diced tomotoes
5. add spices right after, fry for a minute then cover and leave for 8-10 minutes
6. add 1 chilli slit lengthwise, cream, ghee + black pepper
7. fry without the lid for a minute
8. sprinkle coriander and serve

Presto, done. Serve with nan, roti, chawal, whatever.,

Notes:

A real butter chicken is made by marinating and frying the chicken and setting it aside. The gravy is then cooked, and the chicken added at the end. Since this is fake chicken, it doesn’t really need marination.

Some things to test:

• fry the masala and add the fake chicken in later (does it even need frying)
• fry some onions karahai style
• add a dash of kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves)