Butter Chicken

Overview
Butter chicken is a very common dish you get in all Indian restaurants. This is usually served with Naan or any Indian bread. Usually a heavy cream or yogurt based dish mixed with spices. I have used all whole spices that adds a nice fresh aroma to this dish.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken Ingredients - Not included in picture
Heavy Cream and Kasthuri Methi

Ingredients
Boneless chicken breast cut into cubes  - 2 lbs
Finely chopped red onions - 1 1/2  cups
Garlic  15 cloves
Ginger - 2 inch piece cleaned and cut into pieces
Plum tomatoes finely chopped - 1 cup
Cilantro finely chopped - 1/4 cup
Coriander seeds - 3 tablespoons
Red Whole chilly - 4 - 6
Raw Cashews - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/2 stick
Heavy cream 1/4 cup
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Star anise - 1
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1 inch pieces
Fennel seeds - 11 teaspoon
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Kasthuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)- 1 tablespoon
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Grind the cashew with a little water to make a smooth paste and keep aside.
2. In a blender add the garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, whole red chillies, star anise, cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, cinnamon, black pepper and turmeric along with some water and make a smooth paste and keep aside.
3. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add the butter along with the oil. When the butter melts and the it gets hot add the finely chopped onions to this and saute till the onions are light brown.
4. Add the smooth spice paste and cashew paste to this and saute till the oil separates. keep stirring so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the finely chopped tomatoes to this along with some salt and mix well  cover dish and cook on low flame  stirring occasionally. When the tomatoes gets cooked and oil begins to separate  add the chicken pieces along with salt as needed and mix well.
6. Cover dish and cook on low flame. Keep stirring every 3 - 4 minutes till the chicken is cooked  and the gravy has thickened. Finely crush the kasthuri methi and add to this. Add heavy cream and mix well. Turn off heat.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with any Indian bread.

Green Papaya Salad

Overview
A nice crunchy Thai salad that can be served with any fried food especially with fish. This year for easter instead of making the traditional Kerala onion salad that we serve with beef cutlets I made this Thai salad. I got this green papaya from the Asian store and wanted to make something different other than thoran. This salad is spicy and tangy and can be served with any fried or grilled fish too.

Green Papaya Salad

Green Papaya Salad Ingredients

Ingredients
Green papaya  julienned - 2 cups
Carrots julienned - 1/2 cup
Shallots - 3
Garlic - 1 clove
Thai chilly red or green - finely chopped 2
Cilantro finely chopped 2 tablespoons
Lime juice 2 tablespoons
Fish sauce - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Crushed roasted peanuts to garnish.

Steps
1. In a blender finely grind the shallots, garlic along with fish sauce, lime juice and salt to make the dressing.
2. In a bowl mix the julienned green papaya, carrots, finely chopped Thai chillies and cilantro.  Pour  the dressing over it and mix well.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with crushed peanuts.

Serve cold or at room temperature.