Amritsari Chicken Masala

A  traditionally Punjabi dish, Amritsari Chicken Masala is perfectly paired with kulcha, paratha or even Tandoori Roti. This dish essentially leans on the punchy undertone of garam masala (a special spice blend that is ground together and used as a mega ingredients in most Punjabi cooking). The gravy for the dish is made primarily of onion and tomato puree, both blended well after a few hours of stirring the concoction in medium to low heat.

After the customary ginger and garlic paste with chopped onions into the wok, the chicken pieces (pre marinated with yoghurt, red chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala powder) are mixed. The meat is allowed to shallow fry and marry well with the spices. Once they are golden brown and begin releasing its natural juices, it is a marker that the spices have cooked through and through. Small amounts of water at regular intervals ensures that the meat is coked and the gravy is well-bodied.

Amritsari Chicken Masala is also known as Chicken Makhani or Murgh Makhani. Use of heavy cream and ghee are essential to the cooking. Since the meat is blending with only a few spices and is mixed with only onion and tomatoes, it is essential to add body with the cream. The tanginess and sweetness from onions and tomatoes respectively are undercut by the smooth silkiness of the cream. Sometimes, ghee or clarified butter is also added instead of cream. Butter is yet another option for those who want to avoid ghee.

Amritsari cuisine has been shaped by its history of welcoming travellers from other parts of the world. As a pitstop on not one, but two major trading paths —  the Silk Route and the Grand Trunk Road —  the city was privy to the foods, ingredients, culinary customs and cooking techniques of the myriad merchants, travellers and explorers and journeymen who traversed this way. The tandoor, the puff-pastry snack known as satpura, leavened breads are all remnants of this thoroughfare.

In the 13th century, there was a tremendous migration from Central Asia which also impacted Amritsar's foodscape. Its meat-based cuisine, in particular, was shaped by Lahori and Peshawari influences. Even as these 'foreign' influences made their way into its menus and cooking pots, Amritsar was imprinting its own distinct identity on these foods as well, leading to the creation of dishes that are truly representative of this city of Guru Ramdas. In later years, Partition and the influx of refugees would give rise to Amritsar's famed dhaba culture and its signature cuisine.