BUTTER CHICKEN!!

It's hard for me to describe how I feel about Indian food, other than I simply love it. All the bold flavors, different but with a hint of familiarity as well keeps me wanting more. One of my favorite dishes was first introduced to me and my family  through a friendly neighbor and my dad's buddy next door. It was around the holidays 2 years ago. His mother had apparently cooked an abundance of it and didn't want to see any of it go to waste, so they shared some with us. It was a year later around the same time when I first attempted to make it. It was a good try, but all of us agreed that it lacked some heat. This time around, I have to say I'm pretty delighted. I don't know if I'll ever get it down to exactly the way she made it, but I can definitely taste those flavors that has since been embedded into my taste bud memory bank lol the first time I tried it, so to me, it's a success!

The dish is called Murgh Makhani, better known around the world as "Butter Chicken". It's an explosion of flavor in your mouth--very spicy, just the way I like it :)

What you'll need:
- 2 lbs chicken breast (boneless preferred)
- 1 C plain yogurt
- 1 tsp of flour (to keep yogurt from curdling later on)
- tbsp garlic minced
- tbsp ginger minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp turmeric
- 2 1/2 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 large onion diced (about 1 1/2 C worth)
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 1 small can of tomato puree (about 4 ounces)
- 1 1/2 C chicken broth
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 medium sized jalapeno pepper finely chopped (if you don't want it as spicy, take out the seeds)

Cut chicken into bite size chunks, then in a separate bowl or freezer bag, combine with garlic, ginger, and yogurt & flour. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Then take it out let stand for a few minutes just until it isn't as chilled.

In a deep skillet or pot, saute onions in oil on medium-high heat until translucent and slightly tender. Add garam masala and tomatoes and continue sauteing until tomatoes and onions have been dehydrated and carmelized. Add tomatoe puree, marinated chicken, jalapeno peppers, and broth. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium, and let simmer for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Typically in India this is served over basmati rice, but my filipino family enjoyed it with our traditional jasmine rice. I also love it fajita style wrapped in a lightly heated tortilla wrapper and some cheese. SO DELICIOUS!! ENJOY!