Cultural Cuisine: Indian Butter Chicken and Mango Lassi

By Allison Joy

This week, try expanding your gastronomical horizons with some classic Indian dishes. Simmer up a traditional batch of Indian Butter Chicken (a sweet, savory, and creamy treat) served over rice that ends with a kick. Pair it with a Mango Lassi made with fresh fruit and yogurt – it’ll cool you down in no time and satisfy your sweet tooth. Not sure where to get the ingredients? Check out the ethnic foods aisle in Wegmans, or wander down to the spice market on Marshall Street. Enjoy!

Indian Butter Chicken (serves 6) 1 cup butter 1 onion, minced 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce 3 cups heavy cream 2 tsp salt 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp garam masala Pinch of fresh cilantro (optional) 1 ½ pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp tandoori masala Basmati rice

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees 2. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a sauce pan. Caramelize the onions and garlic until dark brown. 3. On medium heat, add the remaining amount of butter, tomato sauce, cream, salt, cayenne and garam masala. Bring it to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and continue to let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring. 4. While the sauce simmers, toss the chicken cubes in vegetable oil, season with tandoori masala, and spread them on a baking sheet. 5. Bake chicken for around 12 minutes, or until the center is no longer pink. Add to the sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro. 6. Serve over basmati rice.

Mango Lassi 1 mango, peeled and diced 1 cup plain yogurt 2 tbsp white sugar 2 tbsp honey ½ cup ice

1. Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Recipes adapted from allrecipes.com