Maneesh Goyal's India House Butter Chicken Recipe - Exclusive

If you're searching a Diwali showstopper, this famed India House butter chicken will not disappoint. Maneesh Goyal, owner of the Desi hotspot Sona in Manhattan, shares the recipe as an homage to his father, who opened India House in the '70s shortly after immigrating to Dallas, Texas. The restaurant was the first introduction to Indian food for many Texans, and the butter chicken was a best seller — so much so that it's also a fixture at Sona. 

Goyal explains that this meal is a fan favorite because of its "gorgeous color," "tender perfectly cooked chicken," and a sauce that's "perfectly savory with just a little bit of sweetness." That balanced flavor is thanks to plenty of aromatic ingredients like ginger, garlic, cardamom, garam masala, and fenugreek. 

While sharing the dish with Tasting Table, Goyal looked back on some of his memories of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights that typically falls sometime in late fall. "My parents would decorate our house ... with what you could consider to be Christmas lights," he said. "All the neighborhood families would just think that we were starting to celebrate Christmas a little too early. My parents felt such pride and joy explaining the meaning behind the lights and Diwali." That celebration of their culture was also reflected in their food, as butter chicken became a beloved dish at India House. Now, you can bring that history and depth of flavor to your own dinner table.