30 The Times Magazine
CHICKEN BUTTER MASALA
Serves 4
This is the most popular dish on the
Gymkhana menu. It was developed in
Delhi in the Fifties by Kundan lal Gujral,
owner of the Moti Mahal restaurant.
The story goes that the cooks would mix
leftover marinade juices with tomato and
butter and stew the tandoor-cooked chicken
in it. It is often the case that the best things
are discovered quite by accident.
- 800g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chilli powder
- 2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt, strained
- 5 tbsp mustard or corn oil
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
For the sauce
- 4 fresh tomatoes
- 800g chopped tinned tomatoes
- 1½ tsp ginger paste
- 1½ tsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp salt, plus extra, to taste
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 4 fresh green chillies
- 60g cashew nuts
- 60g butter
- 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp single cream
- Chopped coriander and ginger juliennes,
to serve
1 Clean and trim the chicken thighs and
marinate with the salt, chilli powder, ginger
and garlic paste and lemon juice. Put aside
for 2 hours in the fridge.
2 Whisk together the yoghurt, oil, garam
masala and dried fenugreek leaves. Add to
the marinated chicken, mix well and set
aside for another 2 hours.
3 Thread the chicken onto skewers and
cook under a hot grill, turning occasionally,
until well charred and cooked. Set aside.
4 To make the sauce, put the fresh
tomatoes, chopped tinned tomatoes, ginger
and garlic pastes, sugar, salt, Kashmiri chilli
powder and green chillies in a large pot
and cook on a medium heat until it starts
to boil. Reduce the heat, add the cashew
nuts and cook until all the tomatoes are
collapsed and the sauce is like a thick
stew. Remove from the heat and blend
to a smooth puree. Pass the sauce through
a sieve into another pan.
5 Heat the sauce again, add the butter,
dried fenugreek leaves and honey and
PHOTOGRAPHS Romas Foord