WOW!!!! that was one long holiday, 85 days to chill?!?!!! It was a package with all kinds of drama. Thoroughly spend some quality time with family, relatives and ofcourse friends. Got to meet a long lost dear friend and have no words to express………… so glad to have met her.

Back home now and WOW again, uncertainty seriously took a toll on me this time. It changed my address in a snap, but one of a kind change. I was certainly up for it and it took me for a ride, a pleasant and exciting one though. A part of me was not happy leaving behind some good memories and very dear friends.

New place, new home, new schools and new markets to explore, it’s just like a new beginning.

The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance. The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect, as unspoiled, as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life. You can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose. ———Arnold Bennett—

With this change, I too decided to turn some leaves for myself. Trying to steer in to a different horizon to try out something different than usual, a new me but still with each and every quality I possessed because that’s the true me.

Time to turn another leaf at the dinner table……………….

Butter chicken

Butter Chicken is probably one of the most popular Indian chicken recipe, liked by all for its mild flavour and deliciously rich gravy. It is the most desired and kid friendly item in any menu.

Many versions of the recipe exists, just made it simple and easy and for sure tastes very close to the original. It’s a very healthy version too.
Butter: It is a good source of Vitamin A. Using butter for cooking or sauteing may ward off feelings of hunger, good for dieters
Chicken, the best source of protein.

Ingredients: Makes 6 servings

• Chicken                                   3 pounds (cut into small pieces)
• Butter                                      5 tbsp (cut it off from a butter stick)
• Onions                                     2 large ones (sliced lengthwise)
• Tomatoes                                3 medium ones (cut into pieces)
• Ginger garlic paste                1 tbsp
• Turmeric                                 1 ½ tsp
• Red chilly powder                 1 ½ tbsp
• Coriander powder                 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala                        ½ tsp
• Salt                                            as per taste
• Red color                                  3 pinches
• Dry Fenugreek leaves             1 ½ tbsp
• Cream / ½ & ½ / Milk          ½ cup

Directions:
Marination: Marinate the chicken pieces with ½ tsp turmeric, ½tbsp chilly powder, ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste, salt and 1 ½ pinch of red color. Keep this aside.
Preparing the gravy: Take a deep dish, put it on medium high flame. Add ½ of the butter while it’s melting add the onions, fry them till they are light brown, now add the remaining ginger garlic paste, fry for another 1 min or so, add the tomatoes and mix, add turmeric, corriander powder, chilly powder, garam masala and salt (remember there is salt in the marination too). Cook the whole mixture till the tomatoes are soft/ fully cooked. Once done, switch the mixture to another vessel and wait for it to cool down. May be 10 minutes….. and then grind it into fine paste.

Meanwhile, put back the vessel on the stove and in medium high. Drop the remaining butter and add the marinated chicken. The chicken is traditionally cooked in a tandoor, but can also be grilled, roasted or pan fried. My choice for this recipe was frying the chicken on medium high to high flame.(no lid used)

Of course there is water coming out, let it evaporate while frying. Once done, low the flame, add the grinded paste, fenugreek/ methi leaves, and the cream. Of all the spices added to the dish it is dried fenugreek leaves (Qasuri Methi) that makes the greatest contribution to the characteristic flavour of the dish. If the gravy is thick, add water.

Mix for few minutes and then bring it to a good boil on medium to medium high flame, let it stay in that stage for 5 minutes, u may want to use something to cover it to save yourself from the splitter splatter at this stage.

The dish may be garnished with white butter, fresh cream or fresh methi. Serve with Naan, roti, parathas, or steamed rice.

This is what I get for making it “LOVE YOU MUMMY”