Combining pasta with Butter Chicken

- Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: exe.chef@horizonmanor.comButter chicken and pasta are two dishes that do not require any introduction. Butter chicken is a delectable combination of charcoal roasted chicken simmered in mild tomato gravy, a dish which hails from Northern India and has been acclaimed by a number of chefs in the past as their unique creation. Pasta, the staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, secures its place in everyone’s heart as an easy to make and tasty food with the goodness of cheese, cream, fresh herbs and variety of sauces to accompany. I am a diehard lover of both these popular dish and often combine these two to get a dish that I call butter chicken pasta. Butter chicken is undoubtedly one of the most popular Indian dishes and is a favourite among people of all age groups and places. Its preparation mainly comprises of two steps first is to make tandoori chicken and then to make gravy. Tandoori chicken is a spring chicken marinated with yoghurt and aromatic Indian herbs and spices roasted in a charcoal fired clay oven called tandoor. The gravy or the accompanying sauce is prepared by simmering tomatoes with ginger, garlic, cashew nuts and herbs and enriched with dollops of butter and cream. Then they are combined and allowed to simmer to combine and enhance their taste. This dish has a nice sweet and smoky flavour and is mildly spiced. Pasta is generally a simple dish, but comes in large varieties because it is a versatile food item. The pasta is always named after its particular shape. Some pasta dishes are served as a first course in Italy because the portion sizes are small and the recipes simple. The servings are usually accompanied by a side of meat. Pasta is also prepared in light lunches, such as salads or large portion sizes for dinner. It can be prepared by hand or food processor and served hot or cold. Pasta sauces vary in taste, colour and texture. When choosing which type of pasta and sauce to serve together, there is a general rule that must be observed. Simple sauces like pesto are ideal for long and thin strands of pasta while tomato sauce combines well with thicker pastas. A sauce should be served in proportion to the quantity of the pasta — it is important that the sauce does not overflow the pasta or the extra sauce will be left on the plate after all of the pasta is eaten.Butter Chicken PastaIngredientsServes 4Chicken 800gm (1 no)Penne pasta 500gmChicken marinadeGinger garlic paste 1tbspKashmiri chili powder 1tspHung curd ¾ cupGaram masala ½ tspSalt To tasteLemon juice 1tspCumin powder ½tspCoriander powder 1/3tspCardamom powder ¼tspMustard oil 1 tbspFor butter chicken gravy/sauceTomato 1kgGinger     1 inch cubeGarlic 4-5 clovesGreen chili 2 noCashew nut 1/3 cupRed chili powder ½tbspSalt To tasteGaram masala powder ½tspHoney 2tbspCream 1 cupButter 50gmGarnishParmesan cheese 50gmBasil leaves Few no.MethodWash and clean the chicken, divide into 4 pieces and keep aside.Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl using a whisk to smoothen the mixture.Rub the marinade onto chicken pieces and refrigerate for 2- 3 hours or preferable overnight.Skewer the chicken pieces and cook over charcoal fire in tandoor or cook in a greased baking tray till the chicken is almost cooked.Remove from skewer/oven and cut into desired pieces and keep aside.Take tomato, ginger, garlic, green chili, cashew nuts, red chili powder, salt and boil in water till the tomatoes are completely mashed.Remove from flame and allow it to cool, blend and strain the mixture to get a smooth tomato puree.Boil the pasta in water with some salt.Cook till the pasta is al dente (where the centre of pasta is slightly raw to bite).Drain and add 1 tbsp of oil to prevent the pasta from sticking and keep aside.Melt 2 tbsp butter in a heavy bottom container and return the prepared tomato puree and cook over slow flame till the oil comes on top and the gravy becomes shiny.Debone the chicken and shred with finger and it to the prepared gravy and simmer for 12- 15 minutes to cook the chicken pieces and allow the chicken to impart flavour to the gravy.Toss in the boiled pasta and add remaining butter, cream and honey.Serve hot in the pasta bowl garnished with grated parmesan cheese and basil leaves.