Butter Chicken (murgh Makhani)

serves 4. Place the yogurt in a piece of cheesecloth and leave to hang to allow the whey to drip away. Puree the garlic and ginger in a blender. Add this and the marinade spices, salt and lime juice to the yogurt and mix well. Scald the tomatoes for the mahkani sauce and peel off the skin. reduce to a semi-pulp with a fork or a potato masher. Put the kasuri methi into a grinder and reduce to a powder. Make gashes in the chicken if using pieces on the bone. Marinate the chickeen in the yogurt mixture for at least 1 hour, preferably 2; for best results leave overnight. When ready to cook, heat the oil in a large, thick-bottomed skillet and put in the chicken with the marinade. Cover and cook over a low heat until done. Turn the chicken over during cooking. Put the tomato pulp into a frying pan and cook for 5 minutes or so until the liquid has evaporated slightly. Add the chilled butter and paprika; after the butter has melted, let it cook for just 1 minute. taste. If it has no sourness, add a few drops of vinegar. Add the kasuri methi and garam masala powder and salt to taste. After 30 seconds, add the cream and stir. the sauce is now ready. Pour it into the skillet and mix well with the chicken. Serve immediately. Notes: If butter is cooked for as long as 3 minutes it will turn into ghee and become a grainy emulsion. So start with chilled butter and cook for less than 2 minutes after the butter has melted. You can cook the chicken ahead of time. But makhani sauce takes only 5-6 minutes to prepare and should be made when the dish is to be eaten. You can cook the tomato ahead, but add the butter just before serving. In india, restauranteurs mix a little raw papaya puree into the marinade as a tenderizer. Kasuri methi or dried fennugreek leaves are available in indian grocery shops.