Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) #FoodieReads

I am posting this after reading Incense and Sensibility:by Sonali Dev.

On the Page

I have read other Sonali Dev novels. They are a quick and easy read while also keeping my interest. I previously shared my Vibrant Blue Milk Tea with Boba. And though Incense and Sensibility is the third book in the Rajes series, I realize now that I haven't posted about book number two, Recipe for Persuasion. So this will be out of order.

This book focuses on Yash Raje, California’s first Indian-American gubernatorial candidate. Yash has always been driven and knows exactly what he wants and how to leverage his privilege to get it. But a hate crime at one of his rallies plunges him into a series of panic attacks. To hide the condition from the media, his family turns to his sister's best friend, India Dashwood, whose business happens to be in the yoga, self-care, and stress management realm. The only hiccup: unbeknownst to the family, Yash and India have a history.

It is always fun to read Jane Austen re-imagined in modern day; and, even more interesting, when the characters are based in California and of South Asian descent. I can't wait to read the fourth installment.

On the Plate

There was a lot of food on the pages from chocolate-glazed donuts to dal and vegetables. But something that was mentioned more than once was Chicken Makhani.

“Everyone’s staying for dinner,” Ashna declared, taking her shoes off and putting them in the shoe closet. China and Song followed suit. “I made some chicken makhani. China, there’s dal and vegetables for you.”

Chicken makhani was Yash’s favorite food and Ashna’s was unarguably some of the best in the world. When everyone was done, Rico and Yash broke off pieces of roti and used them to wipe clean whatever was left in the serving dish.

I did some research and realized that Chicken Makhani is just another name for Butter Chicken. That I can make. So, here we go...

Ingredients

• 1 pound organic chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized cubes

• freshly ground salt and pepper

• 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided

• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 Tablespoon-sized chunks

• 1 large onion, peeled and diced (approximately 1-1/2 cups)

• 1/2 cup diced celery

• 1 cup diced potatoes

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 1 Tablespoon garam masala

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• pinch of cayenne pepper

• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 3” stick cinnamon

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• 1 cup chicken stock, divided

• 1 Tablespoon chili paste (optional)

• 1 cup organic heavy cream

• cooked rice and naan (my Einkorn Naan) for serving

Procedure

In a large mixing bowl, massage the salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and turmeric into the chicken. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Melt 3 Tablespoons butter in a large, flat-bottom pan. Stir in the onions, ginger, and garlic and cook until the mixture is aromatic. Add the remaining butter and stir in the carrots, celery, potatoes, and chicken. Stir in the garam masala, remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon stick. Cook until the chicken is cooked through. Pour in 1/2 cup chicken stock and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

Pour in the tomato sauce and remaining chicken stock. Add in the chili paste, if using; we like our butter chicken a little bit spicy. Whisk to combine. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes - until the sauce is beginning to thicken. Pour in the cream, whisk to combine, and simmer until that it thickened to your liking.

Serve garnished with cooked rice. Enjoy!

I will be adding this to the November #FoodieReads line-up once it pops back up; here seems to be an error at the moment.