Chicken in a rich tomato-and-cream gravy
KosherEye.com

Adapted from How To Cook Indian by Sanjeev Kapoor
Butter chicken is a popular Punjabi dish, and one that characterizes the essence of the region's cooking. The greatness of the dish, also called chicken makhni, comes from the immersion of roasted chicken in a curry that is as smooth as butter. The velvety texture, and the mingling of the sour and the sweet and the spices, is what gives the dish its name.
KosherEye has adapted this famous Indian dish to use nondairy ingredients. This is a spicy dish and the "heat" can be adapted to suit your tastes.
Ingredients:
14 ounces boneless chicken cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 1 teaspoon red chile powder 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt For the marinade: 1/2 cup nondairy yogurt 2 teaspoons fresh ginger paste* 2 teaspoons fresh garlic paste** 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder 1/2 teaspoon ground garam masala 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon salt
For roasting: 2 tablespoons unsalted nondairy margarine, melted For the sauce: 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves*** 2 tablespoons unsalted nondairy margarine 4 cardamom pods 1/2 teaspoon ground mace 1 teaspoon red chile powder 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped 12 medium tomatoes, roughly chipped 1 teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon honey 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon nondairy heavy cream substitute such as coconut milk or MimicCreme.
Directions:
Prick the chicken pieces all over with a fork. Put them in a large bowl and add the chile powder, lemon juice, and salt, and stir well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Make the Marinade: Put the nondairy yogurt in a large bowl. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, chile powder, garam masala, salt, and oil, and stir well with a wooden spoon.
Add the chicken to the above marinade and stir well to coat. Cove the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 3 to 4 hours.
Roast the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Soak wooden skewers in water. Thread the chicken pieces onto the wooden skewers, arrange them on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until almost cooked through. Baste the chicken pieces with the melted margarine and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the skewers onto a plate and set aside.
Make the sauce: Place a small nonstick saut
|