Chattanooga doesn’t have an overabundance of Indian restaurants in town, but those that do have some version of Chicken Tikka Masala. It’s a dish for beginners — not too spicy, with ingredients that are familiar to the palate. I think of it as the burger and fries of Indian cooking.
Butter Chicken, another staple in Indian eateries, is much like it, using ingredients you don’t have to go out of your way to find. Aromatic golden chicken thighs in an incredible creamy curry sauce … What’s not to love about that?
This Butter Chicken recipe is one of the best you’ll try, and if you’re in a rush, you’ll appreciate will how easy it is to make in the comfort of your own home, especially with some buttery rice and crusty bread to sop up the delicious sauce.
It’s a no-fuss, one-pan meal, simplified with just a handful of ingredients and packed with just the right amount of spice. I’ve made it with and without fenugreek and didn’t notice a lot of difference in flavor.
Fenugreek is a spice commonly used in Indian cooking with a slightly sweet flavor similar to maple syrup. In fact, use maple syrup or honey mustard as a substitute. I like the flavor of chicken thighs and using them is more like that served in Indian restaurants, but chicken breasts are OK, too. To make this dish more authentic, serve it with naan that you can pick up in most every Chattanooga market.