Herb and Citrus Rice with Butter Chicken

I got back from a boring dinner party. The food too was uninspiring with loads of cold salads, mezze platters and rice paper rolls. Not my idea of a warm meal on a night, when Chennai decided to be breezy and chill. So, when I got home at 1am! I whipped up this meal in 45 mins.

Herb & Citrus Rice

Take two cups of Basmati rice, pour in 4 cups of water, add a dollop of Amul butter and microwave it for 18 mins.


As it's cooking, in a wok pour some olive oil and fry mint leaves, coriander and thyme. Add 1 grated onion, 1 finely chopped red chilli. two tablespoons of curd and grated orange zest (caramalized). I always keep it handy in the fridge, because it works well with desserts too.


By now the rice would have cooked. Add the spongy and fragrant Basmati rice to the wok and mix all the herbs.

Butter Chicken

There is a better way of making this with proper marinated meat, but this is at 1 am mind you, so I go for the instant Butter Chicken recipe of mine.

Soak 1/2 kg boneless chicken pieces in 7up/Sprite (Yes it works wonders to tenderize the meat) for 10 mins. Also add in a tub of Nestle curd, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chill powder and 1 tsp salt.


While the chicken is coating in the spices and tenderizing, in a wok add olive oil and fry some onions, capsicum and sliced baby corn.


To this, add half a cup of ground cashew paste (always keep ready-made paste in the fridge). It lasts a couple of days, so if you don't use it, please make fresh every 2 days.


After 5 mins of letting the spices and the cashew paste cook, I add the chicken pieces. And a few spoons of the marinate sauces.


Add 1/2 cup of vegetable or chicken stock (any supermarket variety is fine)


Allow it to cook for 15 mins on high. Then add 2 tsp of fresh cream and 2 tbsp of Heinz tomato ketchup (It adds the perfect tangy flavour). Cook for further 10 mins.  Keep stirring while it's cooking.

Garnish and plate up.