Topic: The Taste !

[emin-j]

Evening All,
Just a little story that could help us to find that ' Eureka ! ' moment 

I work with a Hungarian Guy who was telling me how his Girlfriend was the Manageress of an Indian Restaurant back in Hungary,at busy times She would often help out with the cooking in the kitchens alongside the Indian Chef's learning the trade as She went.
I asked my work colleague if he would bring in a sample of whatever She wanted to cook and I would give my expert  : opinion ( he knows I am a Curry Nut ).
A week or so ago he brought in some Butter Chicken something I have never tried before but I couldn't wait til lunchtime to try it.
So at lunchtime I popped it in the Microwave not really knowing what to expect and went and sat down at my table waiting for the 'ding'.
After a couple of minutes the Aroma filled our Portacabin (our canteen) with the most wonderful Indian  Curry smell that I have been trying to emulate for ages and I am 99% sure this would be the hard to describe Aroma (and hopefully flavour) we have all been craving,I wasn't disappointed  It was absolutely delicious with that wonderful ' taste ' that seems so hard to find.
The comments from the other Guys (also Curry lovers) proved to me this was the ' real deal'.
I have been pressing him for the Recipe but his Girlfriend was visiting her family back in Hungary but last night he emailed a list of ingredients which his Girlfriend had emailed from Hungary but the method came from him as he had watched Her cook this dish many times.
I will list the ingredients as per email the method is as per 'cooking from scratch'
which if anyone is interested I will post but the purpose of this lengthy post  : is to possibly identify what gave the dish that wonderful flavour,and that ' taste' stayed with me all afternoon !Bloody lovely.

Ingredients.
2 Chopped Onions
1kg Chicken Breast ( marinated with yoghurt and chat massala) (that's new to me)
1 Litre Tomato Juice
25dkg (250grams) Good Quality Salted Butter
salt
pepper
Garam Massala
Chili Powder
Kurkuma ( Turmeric )
Cumin Powder.

No measures for the Spices unfortunately but I might be able to get more info when the Lady is back.

Method as per request - This is how was told to me and I haven't tried it as yet until I can pickup some Chat Massala so good luck if you try it !

Chop Onions Very Fine  
 Cut Chicken into small sized pieces Marinate as above,  leave overnight is good.

Fry the Onions in the Butter until starting to Brown. ( about 20 mins )
Add Marinated Chicken fry until cooked through.
Add Tomato Juice,bring to a boil then simmer slowly.
Add remaining Spices ( sorry no measures ) and salt and pepper.
Simmer steady  for approx 10-15 mins and serve. 

[billycat]

Would be very grateful if you would post the directions

thank you in advance

[billycat]

Can you please specify what 25dkg of butter is please Emin

[emin-j]

Can you please specify what 25dkg of butter is please Emin

250grams mate, have edited post 

[JerryM]

emin-j,

it's really quite annoying - just looking at the ingredients there is nothing there to suggest this is a 10 dish.

i make butter chicken a fair bit "bitchinsahsa". ingredients for comparison:

oil, g/g, green chilli, tom puree, salt, mix pwdr, chilli pwdr, APS, bunjarra, base, honey, cream, butter (15ml), f.coriander, lemon dressing.

as billycat says the method you would think would have the answer but there's nothing new there either.

the only thing jumping out for me is the 250g of butter. i am convinced on butter in base and also in some dishes. i think too much spoils and amazed that such an amount works but i guess it needs diving by the no off portions which could be 4 or 6.

i've not tried chat masala.

[emin-j]

Thanks' JerryM your reply is appreciated.
I now have all the ingredients to make this version of Butter Chicken but my interest is not really the dish but trying to work out which of the ingredients is responsible for the delicious taste and aroma which I can only compare to the best t/a flavour I've ever had.
Looking at the list of ingredients I am leaning towards the salted butter being the ingredient which could give this moreish flavour and aroma although I  have never used this butter or chat masala in any of my previous curries.

[Curry Barking Mad]

I think Chaat Masala powder is a really nice.
I prefer the Laziza brand, if you put a little in the palm of your hand and taste the powder.
It is sweet, salty and has a lemony aftertaste.
It is of course a major ingredient in Chicken Chaat for example.
A local takeaway near me even shakes some over a portion of chips to make their Spicy Chips.
Mick

[peterandjen]

I have gone back to my old habit of adding a little ghee to my oil when making a curry, it does add a sweetness and enriches the meal.
A naan bread with ghee brushed on it tastes so much more authentic than one without, and combined with your meal goes a long way towards finding the taste.
Also people keep saying meals taste different today than years ago. Maybe this is because years ago, restaurants could get away with using a load of ghee, where as today health concerns make it redundant.
I want crumpets with melted butter now grrrr.

[emin-j]

Yes it's this Butter thing that's got me thinking
When I watched from the kitchen of our favourite t/a I asked was it Vegetable Oil they had on the side in a metal container that the Chef had just started my Curry with and the Chef said ' Yes Veg Oil and a little Butter ' I assumed Butter Ghee but this could have been Salted Butter , plus a local Restaurant which serves Indian,Chinese,Mexican and Italian does a really nice Lamb Curry and although the Curry is in a large heated container they put a whole block of Butter on the top which gradually melts in 
I have Marinated the Chicken overnight (yogurt and chaat masala) and have the Salted Butter ready to cook with shortly. It's not really the dish that I am interested in cooking but will be a bonus if it turns out as good as the one my friend at work brought me in, but more of an experiment to see if I can replicate that wonderful Aroma and flavour which his Curry had and also with the best t/a Curries.