Love of science and math inspired passion for dishes like this popular Butter Chicken

Dave Bednarczyk, a commercial security consultant, is passionate about cooking and enjoys trying new cooking techniques and foods. He and his wife, Renee, live in Kansas City and enjoy time with their two young daughters.

Q: When did your passion for cooking start?

A: In 1987 my mother was featured in an article in Come Into My Kitchen, printed in The Kansas City Star, and I got to be in that photo. When growing up I learned a lot by watching her. In school, I really liked math and science, the STEM courses, but I loved to cook because it combined science with art.

I still love to cook and often try new recipes, then serve the food attractively. I enjoy having friends and family over for dinner. I think dinner brings people together and it is a chance to bust down barriers.

Q: Where do you find inspiration today?

A: I study cookbooks. When first leaning to cook, I studied the original Joy of Cooking and even took a copy to school to share. One cookbook I refer to now is the cookbook from the restaurant Bluestem, in Kansas City.

I am also inspired by watching television. We travel from our living room, and watch travel shows on TV. We have fun trying the recipes they mention, so we learn about the food and the country. It is fun to cook outside of my comfort zone and learn new things, so now I am exploring Asian and Indian cuisines.

Q: What are family dinners like?

A: We enjoy a variety of foods and because our dinners have always included a wide range of foods, our daughters like many different dishes. They each have chef hats and join me in the kitchen to help.

We all enjoy sushi, miso soup, many Asian foods and the butter chicken recipe I am sharing. I often make homemade naan bread to serve with it.

I enjoy using new kitchen equipment. My favorite piece of equipment in the kitchen is my electronic rice cooker. We enjoy eating rice and trying some of the many varieties that are available. I think right now I have 11 kinds of rice in my pantry.

Sous vide, which means that vacuum packed food is cooked in water at a carefully controlled temperature, is a great way to cook. We especially enjoy pork and fish cooked that way. I also use my meat grinder and ice cream freezer.

I have a vacuum sealer and often vacuum pack foods, especially meats and various sauces, to keep in the freezer to use as quick dinner packs. That means on a busy day we can enjoy a great dinner and have it ready in just a few minutes. The meats and sauces are packed separately so we can select them individually and enjoy a variety of dishes.

Q: What recipe are you sharing?

A: This is my favorite butter chicken. I did not like Indian food when I was in my 20s, but now I really enjoy it. I clipped a classic recipe, then started experimenting, so the recipe morphed into this version. Since my friends enjoy it so much, I now refer to it as “world famous.” The chicken is marinated and then seared until browned to add a depth of flavor before it is simmered in the sauce.

I blend the sauce ingredients until smooth. You would not have to blend the sauce, but my daughters like the texture of the blended sauce better than a chunky sauce.

Dave’s World Famous Grilled Butter Chicken

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Marinade:

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons garam masala

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon chili powder

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Chicken and sauce:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 tablespoons ghee

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 cinnamon stick

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

Hot, cooked basmati rice

Naan bread

Cilantro, for garnish, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken in a glass 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Coat the chicken in the marinade, turning to cover evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade and remove as much of the excess marinade as possible. Reserve the marinade.

Preheat the grill to high heat. Cook the chicken for 1 minute or until slightly browned and charred. Turn and cook for an additional minute, until browned on the other side. Remove the chicken from the grill and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into ¾-inch cubes.

Pour the oil and ghee into a Dutch oven and heat over medium high heat. Add the onions and cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and just beginning to brown. Add the tomatoes, additional spices, and salt. Spoon the leftover marinade into the pan and stir to blend. Heat until boiling, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

If desired, for a smooth sauce, blend the sauce using an immersion blender, or allow to cool slightly, then spoon to a blender. Vent the cover of the blender to allow the steam to escape and blend until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan.

Stir the chicken cubes into the sauce. Stir in the cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.

Serve the chicken and sauce over hot cooked basmati rice and accompany with naan bread. Garnish with cilantro.

Tip: Ghee is thick, flavorful and similar to clarified butter. It is especially popular in Indian and Asian cooking and since it has become so popular, many larger grocery stores now sell jars of ghee. If you do not have ghee, you can substitute clarified butter. To clarify butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Skim off and discard the foam. Set the pan aside to stand, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes so the solids settle to the bottom. Pour off the liquid which is the clarified butter.

Do you want to nominate someone to be featured in Come Into My Kitchen? Maybe a friend, neighbor, sibling or even yourself? Email us at KCComeIntoMyKitchen@gmail.com

Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore are cookbook authors and food consultants that make up The Electrified Cooks. They have published over fourteen cookbooks and thousands of recipes. They are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier and blog at pluggedintocooking.com.

This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM.