Butter Chicken has helped me through every stage of my life - and has always united my family

I remember my first taste of butter chicken. I must have been around 10 years old. My dad's cousins ​​used to marinate a whole chicken from their farm in yoghurt, spices, ginger, garlic and chilli, before cooking it over an open flame: everyone didn't have a tandoor.

Everything they used was from their land: deliciously sweet and tangy tomatoes, homemade yogurt, makhan blanc (cultured butter). It was such an experience - and such a beautiful dish - that throughout the long train journey home from visiting them, I was pestering my mother to cook it for us at home. Those delicate spices, however, and the smoky flavor of cooking over an open fire, are impossible to replicate even now.

My understanding of regional cuisine came in part summer vacation, partly because my father worked at the steel mill. Here he worked alongside others from all over India - and at school my friends and I would look forward to each other's tiffin boxes, eager to see what exciting regional dishes we could share together. that day.

Each bite of butter chicken taught me how a dish can vary so much. The spices are generally the same, but the techniques and methods used to make it vary so much.

With its tomato-based sauce and lightly spiced cream, the chicken au Butter is a comforting, warming dish that feels decadent thanks to its creamy, silky richness. It is a dish that can be cooked with breast meat or chicken thighs, with or without bones. The most important thing is to marinate the chicken fully to allow the flavor of the spices to shine through. For a truly authentic experience, enjoy it with a crispy naan, perfectly soft in the middle, and a side of pickled sliced ​​onions.

When I was little, chicken Butter was for special occasions only. Money was tight and dining out was a luxury reserved for family vacations. My mom used to make her own version at home, but instead of cream she used a combination of milk and yogurt. It was only when I traveled with my family to Punjab during school holidays that I could enjoy the different and beautiful texture and flavors of butter chicken.

Since then, it's a dish that has fascinated me. Done right, with or without the bone (I prefer the latter), it can be an incredibly smoky, succulent, and satisfying creation.

My eldest daughter, Reet, was just six months old when she first tasted butter chicken. Dining at a wedding in India, she sat on my lap and snatched a piece of chicken from my plate. Immediately, she begged for more.

Since then, I started making them for her – and later, for her younger sister Neev – at home. When she was still in primary school, Neev came to my restaurant with her friends, and I already knew that each time I had to make them all the same dish: butter chicken with naan and kachumber salad.

Since this is such a favorite dish, I taught them how to make this dish themselves. They are aware that the marinade is key - and the sauce can be made ahead and frozen if they are busy. Before she left home, I taught Reet a "cheat" version with tomato puree, to help save her time and money.

I started taking a closer look at butter chicken – its history and the different ways it can be prepared – when I started my home business. Around this time, chef Manjit Gill took me to the very first Moti Mahal restaurant in Daryaganj, co-founded by three friends from Peshwar (now Pakistan) who had fled to this area of ​​Delhi after the partition of the India in 1947. Here they created butter chicken, as well as dal makhani - black gram lentils with a creamy makhani base.

Butter chicken has grown and gained popularity, leading to it being copied by chefs across India, each creating their own version. During a recent visit to Punjab, I traveled to many parts of the region with my father and my friend, Ritu, to try different versions. My dad was always a lover of good food, and I have fond memories of him grinding spices in our kitchen to make the mixes Mom used in her cooking. He loves joining me on trips like these - and I think he's always impressed that I cook and write about food for a living!

I must say, the worst butter chicken I ate was on this visit to Punjab. In each of the 10 places I tried, all I could taste was the cream - and, in some cases, the chopped onion pieces. When a region is famous for...