Indian Butter Chicken

I am not sure why this is called "Butter Chicken" but after looking at some recipes on the internet it seems to be fairly common. This can also be called "Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce". I am quite fond of the cream and tomato combo, as this is what I usually do in the last few minutes of my marinara. Not too much that the cream takes over, but just a tablespoon or two to really mellow it out.

This recipe is courtesy of the "Sara's Secrets" show on Food TV. I am pretty sure once upon a time I went looking for recipes with garam masala because I love it bunches and would like to incorporate it more into our meals. You can buy it already prepared (the McCormick brand is pretty good) or make your own. Because it changes from family to family (masala means "mixture" and garam means "warm") I'm sure you'll find 101 recipes on the internet for it.

Spice Blend:
1 tablespoon garam masala seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 skinless rotisserie chicken, boned out and pulled into 1 1/2 by 1/2-inch chunks
1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas, placed in a colander and run under hot water to thaw
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Hot basmati rice, for serving
Pita bread, warmed according to package directions, for serving

To make the spice blend: Stir the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the pieces just begin to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The spices will be fragrant. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and stir will. Add the chicken pieces, spoon the sauce over the top and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove the chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.

Shake any excess water from the peas. Add the peas and cream to the sauce in the pan, stir well and heat through. Do not boil. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with rice and warmed pita bread.

Variation: If you prefer shreds of chicken to whole pieces, remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat into large chunks by hand. Add to the pan along with the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the tomato sauce and continue with the recipe. Serve over basmati rice.

I used the rotisserie chicken because I was lazy and tired. Next time I'll just saute some boneless skinless breast pieces and use those. Because I used shreds of chicken, the chicken was more incorporated into the sauce than it being a chicken vs sauce thing. Next time I'll probably omit the peas and do potatoes and carrots.