A burst of flavors is what happens when Italy meets India! Butter chicken lasagna rolls is a classic Indian twist to your favorite lasagna recipe with silky smooth makhani sauce, grilled chicken and of course lots and lots of mozzarella cheese.
This, yet again is for an Instagram collaboration only. I had to make a recipe with any pasta or noodles, but everything seemed so normal to me. I did not want to make anything with macaroni because it was just a few days back that I had posted my fruit and macaroni salad recipe.
So, other than macaroni, all I had at home was some spaghetti and lasagna sheets. That is when I thought why not try these lasagna rolls. Not the classic lasagna recipe, but then something different in that too! That was the spark! The moment I realized why not combine lasagna pasta with our all time favorite Indian curry – butter chicken.
The inspiration behind lasagna rolls was from my cannelloni pasta recipe. A few months back, when I actually planned to make it, I was not able to find it here. So, as an alternative I thought of rolling lasagna sheets and making the recipe. Hence, the lasagna rolls.
This is my second attempt at making butter chicken lasagna rolls. My first attempt was a total failure, not because it lacked in taste or anything else. I cooked my lasagna sheets the wrong way. Usually lasagna sheets need not be pre cooked. But, since we have to roll the sheets, we also need to pre cook them till al dente .
Cooking the lasagna sheets is quite a big process. That is because you cannot cook all the sheets at the same time. This has to be done in batches. That is the only problem with cooking lasagna sheets. The first time I had put all the sheets together that I was not able to toss and turn each sheet to prevent them from sticking, Anyways, if this happens to you, then tear these sheets and make the normal layered lasagna, as I did!
So, for this butter chicken lasagna rolls, we will be preparing a velvety smooth makhani sauce. This is the best sauce. It is so creamy, smooth and velvety. When I gave my husband some sauce for him to taste, all he said was “I am missing naan”.
But, you know what, this butter chicken lasagna rolls is a complete meal in itself, because the pasta compensates for the naan. On the whole, every bite of these lasagna rolls is out of the world. Oh, I forgot the cheese. The mozzarella cheese gives so much flavor and taste to the whole dish. The gooey cheese is just the frosting on top of the cake.
Also, I have used some store bought alfredo cheese sauce. You can use homemade béchamel sauce too or any cheese sauce for that matter. Alfredo sauce is for that extra creaminess and it adds so much depth to the overall flavor.
Now that I am writing this post, I cannot even stop thinking about the makhani sauce. That was one hell of a sauce. Thinking about it makes me drool. This is the best pasta I have had till date. It is so tasty and flavorful. And, for this butter chicken lasagna rolls, I’ve grilled the chicken with just a simple marinade.
I have said so much about these lasagna rolls that I am already craving for it. So, let us indulge ourselves in this beautiful and flavorful butter chicken lasagna rolls for this is the best combination of both the worlds – pasta and butter chicken.
Enjoy this delicious butter chicken lasagna rolls with your loved ones along with some salad or garlic bread on the side. Stay safe; stay healthy! Happy cooking and eating!
While you are here, do checkout my other pasta recipes to prepare for a weekend brunch! Also, checkout my other Italian recipes! Try my fruit and macaroni salad recipe too which is a cold pasta salad! Look through my pull apart garlic bread recipe to pair it up with these lasagna rolls.
Has meal planning been a little bit difficult during this lockdown? Look through my No Veggies, 21-Day Lockdown Series for ideas on what to cook during this lockdown.
If you have tried any of my recipes, then tag @the_busy_apron and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thebusyapron. Also tag @TheBusyApron and share it on Twitter with the hashtag #thebusyapron
Butter chicken lasagna rolls
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade
- 500 grams boneless chicken, cut into pieces
- 1½ tbsp red chili powder
- 1½ tbsp ginger garlic paste
- salt, as required
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- oil, to cook the chicken
For the makhani sauce
- 2+2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1½ tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 6 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 12-15 cashews
- 2 green cardamom
- 3 green chili
- 4-5 red chili
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1½ ttsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- water, as required
- 3 tbsp sugar
- salt, as required
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi
For boiling the pasta
- 12 lasagna sheets
- water, as required
- salt, as required
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For assembling the lasagna rolls
- ½ cup alfredo sauce
- 1 cup diced mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Marinating and grilling the chicken
- Cut the chicken into smaller pieces and add it to a mixing bowl along with salt, red chili powder, ginger garlic paste and lemon juice. Mix well and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- Add oil to a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, cook the chicken pieces on both sides until golden and remove onto a plate. Set aside. Shred the chicken once it has cooled down.
To prepare the makhani sauce
- To a kadai on medium heat, add 2 tbsp butter and oil
- Add chopped garlic, onions and ginger garlic paste to the oil and saute until onions turn translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, green chili, red chili, cashews and green cardamom to the kadai and mix with the sauteed onions.
- Add all the powdered spices and mix well.
- Add required water (around 1 cup) along with salt and sugar. Mix well. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until water reduces and tomatoes turn mushy.
- Let the onion-tomato mixture cool down. Blend to a smooth paste. Strain the sauce and add it back to the kadai along with the rest of the butter, kasuri methi and water, if required to dilute the sauce.
- Add fresh cream and mix well. Turn off the heat when the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
To boil the pasta
- Bring enough water to a boil in a pot. Add salt and olive oil. Mix well.
- Add the pasta sheets, one at a time, vertically and cook for 3-4 minutes or until sheets are cooked al dente. Repeat the process for the rest of the sheets. Wash the sheets under cold water.
Assembling the pasta.
- Spread some alfredo sauce on one sheet and place some grilled chicken on it.
- Spread some makhani sauce on a deep baking tray. Roll the lasagna sheets and place on the tray.
- Top it off with some extra sauce and cheese. Bake covered for 20-30 minutes at 180°C. Uncover it and continue baking for the last 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with any salad or garlic bread on the side.
Notes
- We will anyway be shredding the chicken. So. do not cut it into very small pieces.
- I did not add turmeric powder in the gravy because I have added some in the ginger garlic paste. You can add quarter tsp turmeric powder for the sauce.
- Add enough water to cover all the contents of the kadai while making the sauce.
- Straining the sauce is very important as we want a velvety smooth curry.
- This is butter chicken. So, do not hesitate to add butter.
- Add water as required to adjust the consistency of the gravy. I added about quarter to half cup.
- While boing the pasta, cook until al dente (just for 3 minutes). The pasta gets cooked in the gravy while baking it. Just make sure it is flexible to roll.
- Boil 3-5 lasagna sheets at a time depending on the size of the vessel.
- Stir in between while boiling the sheets.
- Repeat the same process for the rest of the sheets. Discard the water and start from scratch if the water is too cloudy.
- Once the sheets are cooked, wash under running water and cover with cold water to make sure it does not stick with each other.
- Instead of alfredo sauce, you can also use homemade or store bought bechamel sauce.