This gorgeously rich BUTTER CHICKEN CHILI is best enjoyed on a bed of steamed basmati rice along with a drizzle of cumin-scented raita. It truly is a taste sensation.
Here’s our story & complete recipe!
Carol and I first tried this superb recipe last year when we were visiting Jasper, Alberta. Having just arrived at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, we plopped ourselves down in the Emerald Lounge, ordered cocktails and thankfully took our serverās suggestion to try their BUTTER CHICKEN CHILI.
Of course, whenever Carol and I are together, you can barely get a word in edgewise; weāre always yammering on about food and drinks and Weekend at the Cottage. We had barely noticed that the server had placed our chili in front of us and then we took that all-important first bite.
You could have heard a pin drop clear across the Rockies.
As time stood still, we stared at each other for a good 10 seconds before lunging into exclamations ā āOh! My! Gosh! This is incredible! This is crazy delicious! Iāve never tasted anything so perfect!ā
Lucky for us – and now for you – we have friends at Jasper Park Lodge. Our thanks to Executive Chef Christopher Chafe, Executive Sous Chef Cliff Crawford and the talented gentleman who shared his expert wisdom with us, Sous Chef Amal Bahuleyan – hopefully, this post does your recipe proud.
BUTTER CHICKEN is a relatively new culinary sensation from the Indian subcontinent where it is called āmurgh makhaniā. The dish gained popularity in the 1950s when Indian restaurateur Kundan Lal Gujral first served it at his famous restaurant Moti Mahal Delux in Delhi, India. I wonder what Mr. Gujral would think of the marriage of his authentic butter chicken recipe with the more common chili?
Hereās what we learned when making the Jasper Park Lodge version of this one-of-a-kind, easy butter chicken dish:
INGREDIENTS
Traditional butter chicken uses large pieces of chicken cooked either in a tandoor or deep skillet. Since this recipe is for a chili, we use ground chicken instead. Stir constantly as the meat cooks, to break it up into tiny morsels. Note: we drained the cooked chicken on a paper towel-lined plate to remove unnecessary fat from the recipe.
Using a large sweet white onion and finely chopped garlic and ginger is the only prep for the recipe. The simplicity of it all makes this recipe a keeper. I used homemade tomato purƩe for this recipe made by my friends Angela and Mike Calamita. Look for organic tomato purƩe at your local grocer.
SPICE ROAD
Five of the ground spices used in this recipe ā cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric and chili powder ā are readily available at both health and bulk food stores. The three that may be slightly more difficult to track down are garam masala, chaat masala, and Kasoori methi.
Have a look at the photo of these spices in the video and slider. I usually find them at East Indian grocery stores but Iāve also listed them below in our AMAZON links in case youād like to purchase them online.
SERVICE
While this luxurious sauce simmers to perfection, and I mean PERFECTION, steam up some basmati rice and prepare our RAITA recipe. Serve the steamed rice in small bowls, add the BUTTER CHICKEN CHILI and then top it off with a dollop of the creamy yogurt-cucumber sauce and perhaps some finely chopped cilantro. Guests will certainly ask for a second helping, so plan accordingly!
The marriage of two great recipes spawns a savoury treat perfect for casual get-togethers.
Make this BUTTER CHICKEN CHILI and enjoy some authentic Indian soul food. Namaste!
For more great ideas and the FULL RECIPE, please visit us at www.weekendatthecottage.com
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THANKS FOR WATCHING!