Two words that instantly excited my taste buds are butter and chicken.
They’re almost never in the same sentence without a biscuit being involved, that is until I stopped into Shahi Indian Cuisine.
This place is located in the plaza on State Street in Saginaw Township where Kroger and Planet Fitness are.
They offer a variety of authentic Indian food and a buffet on Sunday.
But back to the butter chicken. The dish is actually called chicken makhani and is generally less spicy than chicken curry because it has a milder flavor and reduced heat from the spices.
Chicken Makhani, or “butter chicken,” rice and shrimp hara bhara from Shahi Indian Cuisine, 4624 State Street in Saginaw Township.Bob Johnson
It is served with basmati rice.
It’s a safe dish for anyone hesitant to try Indian food. And the flavor stands on business.
How do I explain this creamy sauce that smothers the tender chunks of chicken?
Smokey. Slightly sweet. A little buttery. Spicy. All of those. It’s like tikka masala, except creamier and better in my opinion.
Butter chicken has become a beloved dish enjoyed all over the world. In the United States, its popularity has risen by nearly 40% on menus at restaurants in the last four years, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.
I’m calling it now. Butter chicken will be the new rave dish that floods your social media timelines and TikTok like oxtails, birria tacos and seafood boils did in the past.
I highly recommend this dish to anyone who loves Indian food and anyone who has never tried it.
But wait, there’s more (in my infomercial pitchman voice).
Two things you can never forget to order at an Indian restaurant and I forgot to order one.
I’ll start with my win: vegetable samosas!
Vegetable samosas from Shahi Indian Cuisine, 4624 State Street in Saginaw Township.Bob Johnson
These deep-fried pastries stuffed with potatoes and peas are a must-have.
My fail: naan.
Naan is an oven-baked flatbread native to India and similar to pita bread, but infinity times better.
I failed to order some to sop up the rich, silky, butter chicken gravy, so I had to use my fingers.
If you want to make a lunch meeting awkward, start scooping up the sauce from your bowl with two fingers and then licking the sauce from them. At one point I just started trying to lick the bowl.
Don’t be like me. Order naan with your butter chicken.
Send an email to me at bob_johnson@mlive.com or follow me on Facebook to suggest more foods you want me to try.
Follow Shahi Indian Cuisine on Facebook.
Address: 4624 State Street in Saginaw Township
Hours:
11 a.m to 10 p.m. on Monday
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. then 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday
Noon to 3:30 p.m. then 5-10 p.m. on Saturday
Noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday
