Rich and Creamy Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1kg boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into large bite size pieces
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp veg oil
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger chopped
- 1 green chilli chopped (optional)
Sauce
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 25g knob butter x 2
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 1 tbsp ginger chopped
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 1 tsp garlic chopped
- 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tbsp ground cashews
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 200ml double cream
- Salt
Preparation
Make the marinade by putting the chicken in a bowl with lemon juice, salt, turmeric, and kashmiri chilli powder, mix well and set aside. Blend the garlic, ginger, and green chilli into a paste and stir into the chicken. Then toast the whole spices on the hob on a medium low heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Stir them in with the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for 8 hours or more.
Grill the chicken by laying the pieces out on a grill rack and pan, crowding them together to achieve a char without overcooking. Grill on high for 4-5 minutes then turn and repeat on the other side. Set aside.
Make the sauce by adding one of the knobs of butter and ghee to a medium heat pan and sweat the onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilli for 6-7 minutes. Stir in the kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander, and fenugreek leaves and sauté for 2 minutes. Then stir in the ground cashews, tomatoes, and sugar, cover and simmer on low for 12-15 minutes until the oil separates from the tomatoes. Blend until smooth.
Add the chicken pieces and any juices from the grill pan to the sauce along with the cream and stir well. Bring back to a low simmer for 5 minutes and season to taste.
