FOOD: Searching the Golbe of Food
Let’s start off with India and something pretty darn tasty, Butter Chicken! In memory of the Hindu festival of lights “Diwali” (even though they’re vegetarians but a lot of us aren’t so what the heck)
A brief history lesson, butter chicken (or murgh makhani) is an Indian cuisine from Punjab, popular in countries all over the world. The dish became a common name across the world by the Sikh diaspora from Punjab. The origins of butter chicken can be traced back to a man named Kundan Lal Gujral, who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal Delux in Peshawar before the partition of British India. Butter chicken is usually served with naan (oven-baked flat bread), roti (also flat bread), parathas (OhMyGod this is flat bread too!) or steamed rice (Indians sure do like their carbs :P).
If you want to know how to make it then read on… otherwise move onto the next column please :)
Pieces of chicken (with or without bones) is marinated overnight in a yogurt and a spice mixture usually including garam masala, ginger, garlic paste,lemon or lime, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili. The chicken is then grilled, roasted or pan fried, depending on convenience.
Makhani, the sauce, is made by heating and mixing butter, tomato puree, and various spices, often including cumin, cloves, cinnamon, coriander,pepper, fenugreek and fresh cream. Cashew paste can also be added, and will make the gravy thicker. Of all the spices added to the dish it is dried fenugreek leaves (Hindi: kasuri methi) that makes the greatest contribution to the characteristic flavor of the dish.
Once the sauce is prepared, add the prepared chicken in the sauce and leave it all to simmer till the gravy and chicken have blended. The dish may be garnished with white butter, fresh cream, sliced green chilies and crushed fenugreek leaves.
When I actually make it, I’ll be sure to post pictures :)
As always, thank you google and wikipedia for providing me with information and a picture.
Peace out followers…
-Food Junkie