Chicken Makhanwala from Gulzar, Hotel President

During my college days, I was an avid reader of Siddharth Kak's gastronomical articles in Times of India. In his article "The utterly Butter Chicken Debate", Mr Kak explains that he had tasted the best butter chicken at Kwality restaurant in Delhi. He reminces about the butter chicken of Moti Mahal, Daryaganj, Old Delhi where butter chicken had a perfect burnished golden red color, treading the line between sweet and sour with creamy consistency. However, he felt that he couldn't get the same taste in other restaurants. In his quest to taste the perfect butter chicken of his youth, Mr. Kak went to the Gulzar restaurant at the President Hotel, Cuffe Parade.

Chicken Makhanwala

From Times of India article by Siddharth Kak

Ingredients

• Chicken Tikka 350 gm
• Fresh tomato Paste 150 gmCashewnut paste 50 gm
• Ginger-garlic paste 10 gm
• fresh Cream 100 ml
• Butter 75 gm
• Kashmiri red chili powder 20 gm
• Garam masala powder 10 gm
• Kasoori Methi 5 gm
• Salt to taste

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan. Stir fry ginger-garlic paste lightly
2. Add fresh tomato paste, Kashmiri chili powder. Stir fry.
3. Add cashewnut paste till oil oozes out.
4. Add cream, butter, garam masala, kaoori methi.
5. This is the basic makhni gravy recipe.

Note -
1. I used Sanjeev Kapoor's Tikka Masala powder to make my chicken tikkas by grilling them in oven and then added them to the simmering gravy.
2. Mr. Kak also shares some readers' contribution/tips etc to make the perfect recipe.

Credits
Cafe Gulzar Hotel President
Chef Easaw Johnson & Executive Chef Ananda Solomon
Times of India/Bombay Times
Siddharth Kak

via Enjoy Indian Food