Recipe: Move over regular butter chicken and try this Butter Chicken Burger

Move over regular butter chicken and let this drool-worthy recipe of Butter Chicken Burger satiate your taste buds. Consuming chicken boosts immunity and has added health benefits of improving the nervous system, regulating digestion and eliminating weakness.

On that convincing note, check out the recipe of Butter Chicken Burger below. It takes only 20-25 minutes to prepare, 45-50 minutes to cook and serves 6-7 burgers.

Ingredients for Makhani sauce -

Oil 1 tbsp

Whole spices:

Jeera (cumin seeds) 1 tsp

Tej patta (bay leaf) 2 nos.

Hari elaichi (green cardamom) 3-4 pods

Onions 2 medium size (sliced)

Tomatoes 7-8 medium size (roughly diced)

Garlic 10-12 cloves

Ginger 1 inch

Green chillies 2-3 nos.

Coriander stems 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts 10-12 nos.

Powdered spices:

Dhaniya powder 1 tsp

Haldi powder 1 tsp

Kasuri methi 1 tsp

Sabut kashmiri lal mirch 5-6 nos.

Salt to taste

Water as required

Ingredients for tadka -

Butter 1 tbsp + oil 1 tbsp

Garlic 1 tbsp (chopped)

Green chillies 2-3 nos. (chopped)

Ginger 1 inch (julienned)

Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tbsp

Hot water as required

Honey 1 tbsp

Fresh cream 1/4th cup

Garam masala 1 tsp

Kasuri methi 1 tsp

Fresh coriander leaves 1 tbsp (chopped)

Method for Makhani sauce -

Set a wok on medium high heat, add oil, whole spices & sliced onions, cook until the onions are translucent.

Further add tomatoes and the remaining ingredients of the makhani gravy base, mix well and cook on medium high flame.

Add water as required & mix well, cover and cook on medium flame for 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are mushy.

Switch off the flame and cool down the mixture to room temperature for grinding. Make sure to discard the bay leaf before grinding.

Transfer the mixture in a grinding jar and grind to a fine puree, strain and keep aside, if you're not obsessed with the silky-smooth texture of the gravy, you can choose to skip the step of straining, but make sure you grind the mixture really smooth and fine.

For tadka, set a wok on medium heat, add butter + oil, garlic, ginger & green chillies, stir & cook for a minute on medium flame.

Low down the heat and add kashmiri red chilli powder stir & cook for a minute, and further add the pureed gravy, stir & cook for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Add honey, garam masala, fresh cream, butter & freshly chopped coriander leaves, stir & cook the gravy for 1-2 minutes.

Taste the gravy and adjust the salt accordingly.

Switch of the flame & place the live charcoal in a bowl, pour ghee and smoke the gravy for 2-3 minutes to impart the smoky flavour.

Your makhani sauce is ready! Keep aside to be used in burger. Though the makhani sauce is little extra, you can keep the makhani sauce in the fridge and use later.

Ingredients for crispy chicken fillet -

Spice mix:

Kashmiri red chilli powder 2 tbsp

Kala namak (black salt) 1 tsp

Jeera (cumin) powder 1 tsp

Dhaniya (coriander) powder 1 tbsp

Amchur (dry mango) powder 1 tsp

Kasuri methi 1 tsp

Haldi (turmeric) powder 1/4th tsp

Ingredients for chicken marination -

Boneless chicken (thigh/breast) 500 gm

Salt to taste

Garlic paste 1 tbsp

Vinegar 1 tbsp

Mustard oil 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander 1 tbsp (chopped)

Prepared spice mix 1 tbsp

Spice flavoured flour:

Maida (refined flour) - 2 cup

Prepared spice mix - 2-3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Ice cold water (for dipping while coating the chicken)

Oil for deep frying

Method -

For spice mix, add all the ingredients in a jar or bowl and mix well, keep the spice mix aside to be used later.

For crispy chicken fillet, take boneless chicken, am using chicken thigh you can use any boneless chicken of your choice.

Make incisions over the chicken on both the sides & pound the chicken or hammer the chicken with the spine of the knife to break down the muscle fiber, make sure the chicken is intact as a whole piece, pound all the chicken pieces in same way.

Once pounded, marinate the chicken with, salt, garlic paste, vinegar, mustard oil, fresh coriander, and prepared spice mix well, marinate the chicken for minimum time of 15-20 minutes.

For spice flavoured flour, mix flour with prepared spice mix, salt & black pepper powder, mix well and keep aside to coat the chicken.

Now, as the flour and chicken are ready, coat the chicken well with spice flour while rubbing it, further shake well & dust off the excess flour to form flakes & further dip in ice-cold water, further coat it again with spice flour well, while rubbing so the flakes are developed over the chicken slice, shake well to dust of the excess flour and the flakes will form. Keep aside to be fried.

Set wok filled with oil for deep frying, deep fry the coated chicken in hot oil on medium heat, until crisp & golden brown in colour. Crispy chicken fillet is ready.

Ingredients for laccha pyaaz -

Pyaaz (onions) - 3-4 medium sized

Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Dhaniya powder - 1/4th tsp

Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp

A pinch of garam masala

A large pinch of black salt

Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Mustard oil - 1tsp

Green chillies - 1-2 nos. (chopped)

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp (chopped)

Method for laccha pyaaz -

Slice the onions in roundels, do not keep the slice too thick, further separate its layers to make onion rings, immerse the onion rings in ice cold water for 15-20 minutes. Doing this step will ensure the onion rings will remain crunchy.

Further add the remaining ingredients & mix well, chill in the refrigerator until you used. You can also use this laccha pyaaz as an accompaniment for several dish.

Assembly:

Ingredients -

Toasted burger buns

Crispy chicken fillet

Dahi wali hari chutney

Smoked makhani sauce

Laccha pyaaz

Method -

Toast the buns on the inside, place the crispy chicken fillet, top it with dahi wali hari chutney, smoked makhani sauce and some laccha pyaaz, close with another burger bun and serve hot with some crispy fries & any beverage of your choice.

(Recipe: Chef Sanjyot Keer, Digital Content Creator and Founder of Your Food Lab)