Indian Butter Chicken

Indian Butter Chicken

1 cup butter, divided
1 onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 - 15 ounce can tomato sauce
3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tandoori masala

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook slowly until the onion caramelizes to a dark brown, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat along with the tomato sauce, heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper and garam masala. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in caramelized onions. While the sauce is simmering, toss cubed chicken with vegetable oil until coated, then season with tandoori masala and spread out onto a baking sheet. Bake chicken in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes. Once done, add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

Footnotes - I serve this with Jasmine Rice with Crispy Shallots.

Jasmine Rice with Crispy Shallots

8 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/8 cup olive oil
1 cup Jasmine rice
Salt

Cook the rice according to package instructions. The water should boil down so there is no need to drain. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil til shimmering. Add the shallots and cook until they turn dark golden brown. Place rice in a serving bowl and pour the shallots and the oil from the pan over the rice. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt.