Subject: Indian Chicken in Tomato & Butter Sauce
From: Janeanne Rockwell-Kincanon <[email-masked]>
Date: 30 Aug 1997 13:37:04 -0400
Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes

Velvet Butter Chicken 
Tandoori Chicken (16 pieces) (leftover, slightly dry tandoori works well)
3 c. canned tomatoes, pureed, or 4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes
4 green chilis, seeded and chopped, or 1/2 t. red pepper
2 T. chopped fresh ginger
10 T. sweet butter (1 1/4 sticks)
4 t. ground cumin
1 T. paprika
2 t. Kosher salt
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 t. garam masala
2 t. ground roasted cumin seeds
1/4 c. firmly packed minced fresh coriander leaves

Blend tomato, chilis, and ginger to puree in blender or food processor.
Heat 8 T. butter in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
Brown a few pieces of chicken at a time (2-3 min. for each batch) and set
aside, reserving butter in pan.
Add to butter the cumin and paprika; stir rapidly 10-15 seconds.
Add the tomato puree.
Cook, uncovered, until thickened, 5-8 minutes.
Add salt, cream, and chicken pieces, and gently stir to coat chicken with
sauce.  Reduce heat to med.-low.
Simmer uncovered until a thin glaze appears on surface (about 10 min),
stirring occassionally to prevent burning.
Stir in remaining butter, garam masala, and roasted cumin.
You may at this point turn off the heat and let set for a half an hour,
refrigerate for a day, or freeze.  Heat thoroughly before serving, and
fold in coriander when ready to serve.
--from Julie Sahni's *Classic Indian Cooking*

I have also had luck with a simplified (read: faster) version of this,
though I do not know my exact quantities

2 chicken breasts, skinned and deboned, cut into 1 in. cubes.
Combine plain yogurt (about 1 c. or enough to cover your quantity of
chicken),  2 T. paprika, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 T. chopped fresh
ginger, 1 seeded and minced green chili or a dash red pepper, and 1 t.
cumin.  Marinate the chicken in the yogurt mixture a up to eight hours in
the fridge.
Over med-high heat, melt a 2-3 T.  of sweet butter in a pan; season with 1
t. of garam masala.
With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade
(discarding the leftover yogurt mixture) and add to pan.  
When chicken is cooked, reduce heat and add a 14 oz can of tomato puree, 1
t. more of garam masala, and 1/2 t. ground roasted cumin seeds.  
Heat thoroughly and add 2 T. chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).
Serve.

--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated; only recipes and recipe requests are accepted
for posting.  Please read the Posting Guidelines article. Recipes/requests'
go to [email-masked] questions/comments go to [email-masked].
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.