Koji Butter Chicken
In Japan, you don’t have to go far before you stumble across Butter Chicken. While the UK has its Korma and Tikka Masala, here in Japan, you will struggle to find an Indian restaurant that doesn’t put Butter Chicken front and center.
Known as Murgh Makhani in India, this dish was born in 1950s Delhi as a clever solution for leftover tandoori chicken—the rich sauce served as a “rescue mission” to prevent the meat from drying out. As any cook knows, dry meat can spoil even the most sumptuous of curry sauces.
In my kitchen, I take a different approach to the “dry meat” problem. Instead of just masking it with sauce, I use Shio Koji to do the heavy lifting. While the tradition uses yogurt and spices, I rely on the enzymes in the rice malt to tenderise the chicken from the inside out. To deepen the soul of the dish, I’ve replaced standard pantry staples with “kojified” versions: Onion Koji and Tomato Koji.
The result is a curry that satisfies my British husband’s craving for rich comfort, but with the clean, deep umami that only Japanese fermentation can provide.
Koji Butter Chicken
Ingredients | 材料
- 250 g chicken thighs
- 100 g onion koji
- 200 g tomato koji
- 20 g salt-koji butter
- 1 tbsp powdered garam masala
- 1 tbsp powdered cumin
- 50 ml fresh cream
Marinade
- 100 g plain yoghurt
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 50 g all-purpose salt koji (20% of the weight of the chicken)
Instructions | 作り方
- Prep the Chicken: Trim any excess skin and fat from the chicken thighs and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Marinate: Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl or zip-lock bag. Add the chicken and massage well to ensure even coverage. Refrigerate for 12–24 hours (the koji needs this time to tenderise the meat).
- Prepare the Base: Blend the onion koji and tomato koji until completely smooth.
- Sauté: Melt the Shio Koji butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken along with its marinade, then stir in the garam masala and cumin. Sauté until the chicken is lightly browned and the spices are fragrant.
- Simmer: Pour in the blended onion and tomato koji and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finish: Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the flavors are well-combined.