Butter Chicken ~ For My Sister

We love Indian cuisine around here.

One of our all-time favourite dishes is Butter Chicken.

Creamy, tomato-y, soothing comfort food....yum!

Recently, I came across two recipes and gave them a go.
The family gave their stamp of approval to both,
but, one emerged as the best.  I think it may be the fresh ginger.

On one of my experimentation days I had a phone visit with
my sister and I told her what was for dinner.
We often exchange recipes and food ideas.  It's a tradition.
For proof, click here, here, here, and here.  See what I mean?

"I need that recipe!", was her response.  (Of course.)
And, then, I told her she had to wait until all votes were in.
Now they are, so, here it is.  Ready to share.
For you, J...with much love.

 Originally found here and tweaked by moi.

 What you need:

1 cup Sour Cream (or, yogurt but, don't use *light*)
3 Tbsp fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
4 tsp ground Cumin
2 tsp Paprika
1 and 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper**
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
2 tsp freshly ground Black Peppercorns
3 Tbsp freshly minced Ginger Root (not powdered)
1 Tbsp freshly minced Garlic Cloves (see above note....it makes a difference!)
4 Tbsp Butter (use the real thing here...it is Butter Chicken, after all)
3 to 4 raw boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (1 and 1/2 lbs) ~ cubed
1 tin (398 ml or 14 oz) Tomato Sauce
1 and 1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream (un-whipped)
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Optional: 1 medium sized head of Cauliflower ~ Roughly chopped,
and roasted at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes (until just browning on the edges)

What you do:

Roast your cauliflower, if you plan on using it, in a 400 degree F oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, stir together medium sized glass bowl (and set aside) the following:
sour cream, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and pepper.

Cube the chicken meat and set aside.
Mince the ginger root and garlic cloves.  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium-large pot over medium heat.
Stir fry the garlic and ginger for a few minutes until fragrant.

Add in the cubed chicken and stir fry until the outsides begin to cook.
Stir the sour cream mixture into the pot
and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.

Slowly add in the tomato sauce, stirring constantly.
Bring to a simmer and temper the whipping cream with the hot mixture
by stirring one ladle of the simmering sauce into it.

Add about three ladles full of the simmering sauce to
the whipping cream before adding it slowly (stirring constantly)
into the simmering pot of chicken.

Stir in the brown sugar and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook,
lid slightly ajar, for about 25 minutes.  Check that the chicken is cooked
by cutting a piece open...it should be white throughout.

Stir in the cauliflower, if using, and heat through.
Serve over a bed of freshly cooked rice with Naan Bread on the side.

Happy Cooking!
With Love, Camille
 

**If you don't like things too spicy, cut back on the
cayenne pepper by half or more.  There's quite a bit of heat
in the recipe as presented...you can always add more, but,
you cannot remove it once it's there!  Fair warning?  :)