Smoked butter chicken – This is not one of those quick fix dishes. It required patience and time so don’t attempt it if you are in a hurry. This is my version of the butter chicken which I cooked for every family party and then never cooked it for more than 25 years. I had to dig deep into my head and heart to put this together and it worked. The fact that the dish says butter chicken does not make it inauthentic because the recipe has no butter. The correct translation would read creamy chicken.
Chicken – 1 kilo
For the marinade
Fresh sweet thick curd ( don’t compromise on this) – 250 gms
Chilly powder – 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tea spoon
Cumin powder- 1 tea spoon
Coriander powder – 2 tea spoon
Ginger & garlic paste – one large tea spoon
Red food colour – optional( but i suggest you add)
For special mix
Star anise ground (चक्र फूल) – one teaspoon
Sauf or fennel – one teaspoon
Ajwain or carom seed- three pinches
Fr. Warner D'Souza is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He has served in the parishes of St Michael's (Mahim), St Paul's (Dadar East), Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (Bandra), a ten year stint as priest-in-charge at St Jude Church (Malad East) and at present is the Parish Priest at St Stephen's Church (Cumballa Hill). He is also the Director of the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum and is the co-ordinator of the Committee for the Promotion and Preservation of the Artistic and Historic Patrimony of the Church.
