OCTOBER 20: WORLD BUTTER CHICKEN DAY
Introduction to Butter Chicken
India is a land of evolving cultures and traditions. India's cuisine has captured the taste buds of people who can't get over it. Each year on October 20, the world celebrates World Butter Chicken Day. This dish originated in India and comprised a buttery, spicy mix of tomatoes and an overnight soak in water with spices and yogurt.
Many people believe that Indian food can be hard to make because they assume it is an unfamiliar cuisine - but by consulting cookbooks or watching a cooking show, anyone can try cooking murgh makhani themselves. Chicken makhani goes well with traditional Indian flatbreads- buttered naan or roti- and steamed rice.
Butter Chicken curry is much newer than many think - it only dates back to post-partition India, and even then, it comes from a sweet shop in Peshawar called Mukhey da Dhaba. Mokha Singh runs the place, and he's been making butter chicken for around two decades now.
It was during this time when Mokha Singh fell ill and passed the shop down to Kundan Lal, who changed its name to Moti Mahal for the sake of the tradition. Though now gone, one can still find traces of it here and there around town, as if paying homage to its legacy.
KL Gujral realized that because the Tandoori Chicken would hang over the fire all day, it would lose its succulence if it was sold. Thus he created a basic sauce consisting of tomatoes, butter, cream, and some spices to cover the Tandoori Chicken and make it moist again; after which chicken butter masala was born.
Celebrate World's Butter Chicken Day

Instant pot butter chicken, with its perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness, has got successful because it's easy to make. Many recipes will be either too sweet or too hot - but not Monish. He refuses to admit that other places are better than his place. Marryam H. Reshii would know best about Butter Chicken curry at her favorite restaurant Mughal Mahal in East Patel Nagar.
Butter chicken sauce came into existence by Kundan Lal Gujral, who opened Moti Mahal in 1920. This year marks the 102nd anniversary of his establishment - making World Butter Chicken Day a celebration of everything this restaurant has done for food lovers everywhere.
Monish Gujral reported that Moti Mahal had celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary in October 2020 and advised creating an annual World Butter Chicken Day. The exact date in October 1920 that the original Moti Mahal debuted has yet to be discovered, says Monish, but he picked the 20th because it was also his son's birthday - which looks like great-grandfather.
Summing Up On World Butter Chicken Day

Butter Chicken is the most popular dish among non-vegetarians, not just in India but across the globe. With its rich and creamy texture, this mouthwatering specialty delicacy consists of chicken pieces cooked until they're tender in a smooth buttery gravy with just enough spices. You can't miss it when you go to an Indian restaurant.
Butter chicken, a popular dish in Indian restaurants across America, took the internet by storm when a North Texas blogger's Instant Pot recipe went viral. Not only did The New Yorker profile its author - Urvashi Pitre (also known as The Butter Chicken Lady) - but Dallas Morning News food editor Erin Booke also profiled her this past month. Indian butter chicken is especially cherished among North Texans now that they learn about her from local and national sources.
Pro Tips for Preparing Butter Chicken

You can make a butter chicken that tastes much closer to Moti Mahal's original murgh makhani, adapted from Monish Gujral's version in 'On the Butter Chicken Trail. To do so, you need to track down dried fenugreek leaves, marinate the chicken for four hours, and toast and grind spices to create your garam masala.
Alcoeats has made it incredibly easy to cook authentic butter chicken sauce at home. With Alcoeats Easy Indie Bowl Simmer sauce mix, anyone can make classic dishes such as Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) without much effort. You can try out these recipes at home with an order from Alcoeats.com. Get one for you instantly.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why does my chicken get so dry when I use a Slow Cooker butter chicken?
If cooked for too long, the meat will become tough and leathery. That means the best way to keep the meat moist when using a slow cooker is to stop cooking it once it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F
Is butter chicken the same as Makhani?
Butter Chicken, also known as chicken makhani or traditionally as murgh makhani, is an Indian curry made with a base of spiced tomato gravy with plenty of butter (Makhan) and marinated chicken that's typically cooked in a tandoor.
What goes into this delicious Indian dish called butter chicken masala?
For starters, it starts with chopping up some chicken that's been seasoned with a variety of spicy flavors such as ginger, garlic, and curry spice. The result is then cooked in an aromatic tomato and cream-based sauce for hours until it becomes soft.
What are the variations of Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken has many variations, such as garlic butter chicken, peanut butter chicken instead of the usual butter to make it healthy, lemon butter chicken, and honey butter chicken.
Is butter chicken from an Indian restaurant keto-friendly?
A rich and creamy mix of tender chicken pieces with tomatoes and a succulent yogurt marinade, butter chicken pairs perfectly with cauliflower rice making it a perfect low-carb and Keto butter chicken.
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