The Kitchen - Murgh Makhani

Planet Tokyo The Kitchen Planet Tokyo Murgh Makhani Butter Chicken (Punjabi) [RIGHT-CLICK, 'NEW TAB']  [RIGHT-CLICK, 'NEW TAB'] [RIGHT-CLICK, 'NEW TAB'] [RIGHT-CLICK, 'NEW TAB'] [RIGHT-CLICK, 'NEW TAB'] Yummy and easy.  Lazy way:  just browned the chicken ahead of preparing the gravy, instead of the more involved job of marinading and grilling the chicken. Very good for what was an impromptu job. Prepared about 1.2 kg chicken and did lazy estimates of my ingredients. There will be some frozen meals out of this, which is a bonus. Getting whining from the resident beeeeeeeeeep, who helped himself to another plate, even as he was complaining.   Whining that it's "not creamy enough".  It's heart attack food:  butter, cream, yoghurt, and it's as creamy as I'm going to make it. The beeeeeeeeeep who didn't cook this meal, then starts giving me instructions and entering into a 'debate' where there can be no debate.  It's my dish.  It's done.  It's my take on the dish; and it is what it is. No wonder I don't like cooking any longer. If I have to cook, I think I prefer Indian curries. So easy to do. South-east Asian curries are more fuss and more expense (unless you maybe go to a fresh produce market for special ingredients). Used different recipes as an inspiration. This is an example recipe that's a bit more involved than what I did, but it gives an idea of ingredients. What I did was made up a blender fine slurry of onion, garlic, ginger (and would have thrown in green chillies had I used them).  Not every recipe calls for onion, but I like it.  Threw in a tin of tomato, as I was worried my pasata wouldn't be enough for the quantity I was preparing. Once my chicken was browned, I drained off some of the oil and butter I had estimated for the job and I threw in the bay leaves, cinnamon and other dry spices (eg. cardamom, cumin, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, fenugreek seeds, dried methi (fenugreek), chilli powder).  I think next time I would be selective with this part, as not everything needs heating through (and there is risk of 'pan stick' and having to watch for it, doing it this way, instead of dumping spice into a paste or wet slurry) - eg. the powdered ingredients which, instead, could go into the slurry.  Onion/garlic/ginger (and extra tomato, in this case) slurry is then dumped in and cooked off a little.  Other spice ingredients go in; dump in tomato paste; yoghurt, cream; honey (if using) and throw in browned chicken pieces.  Some recipes use blended cashew seeds (or poppy seeds soaked for an hour or so and blended), blended into a paste with a little water.  I had some ground cashews on hand in the refrigerator, so I used that to get rid of the cashews.  Simmer for whatever.  I simmered for 20 and then another 20 because the rice wasn't put on, as I'd expected.  It looks like a dollop of butter can go on top on serving, or perhaps a dollop into the main body of the dish before serving.   My favourite part of this dish is the dried methi.  The dried methi smells so lovely.  My hands still smell like curry, but I don't mind smelling of curry.  LOL Some guy's pictorial here.