Channa butter chicken

This was so totally delicious. It was my first time making butter chicken from scratch last week and it was very well received! My dad suggested I make this every week...to which my brother and I responded that although it's tasty, we'd probably get super tired of it. My mother who has convinced herself that she's lactose intolerant, ate this with ease. She's actually not lactose intolerant...apparently just intolerant of anything "creamy". Westernized soy milk? Creamy, yet eating hummus is fine. lol It's kind of hilarious.

Anyway, the recipe I used was based on one from allrecipes.com. It has 636 reviews, averaging at 4.5 out of 5 and the photos taken by others looked good enough. I did, however modify it to suit my likings. First was doubling the gravy recipe, because it's the sauce that makes it and I also added a large can of chickpeas. It adds bulk and protein, who's to complain?!

Here's the recipe I used (more or less)

Chana Butter Chicken
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 medium white onion, chopped finely
• 3 tablespoons butter, salted
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste*
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 2  teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 bay leaf
• 1/cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 cups tomato puree
• A squirt of ketchup (about 2 teaspoons, trust me on this.)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 pinch salt or to taste
• *Don't have garlic ginger paste? Just mash up equal amounts of each. I used my Magic Bullet and it worked like a charm!

• 1/4 cup of almonds, roasted and ground (add 1/4 cup of water to help it process if need be)

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

• Large can of chickpeas

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. Saute onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 tablespoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add almond mixture and stir to thicken. Season with salt, taste and adjust. Remove from heat, pick out the bay leaves and set aside. 
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 tablespoon garam masala and cayenne. Set aside on a clean plate. Turn the heat to low and let cool for a few minutes.
3. When the gravy has cooled down a bit, use a hand blender or a stand up blender and puree the sauce until silky smooth.
4. Using the same pot that the chicken was just cooked in, add the sauce. Heat it up and add the chicken pieces back in along with any of the juices that may have escaped, as well as the chickpeas. Cook for another 10 minutes until the chicken is done. If it's too thick, add water until you have the consistency you want.
5. Serve with rice, naan, roti, potatoes..anything. Just eat it as is...ugh now I want some! Your house will smell divine!