Thursday, January 11, 2007

Butter Chicken

This is more of a food review than a recipe. We had butter chicken for dinner. I have yet to tackle actual butter chicken. I can't find a recipe yet I want to try, they all have about forty million ingredients. I know I could whip it up with things I have in the spice cupboard, but I am still a little intimidated (and for those who know me, the thought of me being intimidated in the kitchen is alien)

Still, just because I am afraid of butter chicken doesn't mean I am not going to enjoy the yummiest of all Indian dishes. So we use (drum roll) President's Choice Butter Chicken Sauce In A Jar. Just cook the chicken, add the sauce, and dump over rice. Dee-licious. Possibly not the healthiest choice, but quick and tasty, and as it is not terribly spicy, it is a good entry-level Indian dish. We got the Our Complements sauce from Sobeys this time. (No link unfortunately. Internet-wise, it is as though it doesn't exit) Pretty much the same, I'd say. It was a little tangier with slightly less curry taste, but it would have been well served if we had just toasted a little garam masala and stirred it in. Ian's mostly ended up on the floor. But he doesn't seem to be eating as much at supper time lately as a rule, so I don't know if I can entirely chalk that up to the dinner.

Altogether, I prefer the PC version. They are both around the same price. We prefer it with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and of course Basmati rice which has a sweet smell and aroma. Although we didn't have them this time, PC also makes a great Naan bread that goes really well with this dinner. It's soft and buttery. The package says not to microwave it but 30 seconds or so in the microwave is quicker than grilling it.

While I am on the subject of Indian food, here is some advice for fellow Haligonians: the Curry Village makes terrible butter chicken. It was like chicken in gravy. It didn't have much flavour, and it was a sorry greyish brown colour. They had fresh Naan bread, though, which hooked me for good. If you want to go out for a bite of curry in Halifax, the best Indian food I have had is the Dude Who Sells Curry at the Brewery Market on Saturdays. $5 will get you curried chicken, Basmati rice with vegetables, and a meat samosa. And it's about the best I've had anywhere.

So if anybody has a relatively simple butter chicken recipe they have tried I would love to hear about it. Please feel free to comment!

1 comment:

Melissa said...

Awesome! I love the reviews ... lets me know what to buy. I definitely want some butter chicken now. Our dinner last night - left over pizza, and I had a salad too. I'm so ashamed. Will you adopt me? Ian doesn't know how good he has it!