I Love You, Montreal / Je t'aime, Montréal!--BUTTER CHICKEN @ AMBALA

Ambala has the best restaurant 'butter chicken' I have eaten at a Montreal Indian restaurant. They do have take-out, and I would suggest the "Calcutta Special" which--besides the butter chicken--includes rice, naan bread, chapatis and onion bhajis. It's located here, at 3887 St-Denis, and their phone is 514-499-0446.

Making butter chicken at home is a lot easier than it looks or seems:

• Make a garam masala of 1 tsp nutmeg or mace, 5 cardamom pods, 1 tblsp cumin seed, 1 tblsp coriander seed, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp flaked dried chilies, 5 cloves, and a 1" piece of cinnamon.
• Grind these in a mortar or coffee grinder, and sprinkle half on chicken.
• Cook chicken until 90% done in 1/4 cup butter, 1 medium onion, 1" piece ginger minced, and 3-5 cloves garlic.
• Remove chicken and add to sauté pan 1 cup 15% cream, 1 cup good (plain-ish, i.e., no 'Italian Seasonings') tomato sauce.
• Add the other half of the garam masala and simmer slowly for 5 mins. before adding chicken back and letting it cook completely through.
• Before serving, whisk 2-3 tsp of butter into the sauce, as well as a bit more cream if it is dry, and serve on scented rice.