Classic Indian Butter Chicken Dish
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1kg boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into large bite size pieces
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp 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
- 2 x 25g knobs butter
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 1 tbsp ginger chopped
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 1 tsp garlic chopped
- 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 tbsp ground cashews
- 1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 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. Mince or blend garlic, ginger, and green chilli into a paste and stir into the chicken. Toast whole spices in a pan for 3-4 minutes until fragrant, then stir into the chicken mixture, cover, and marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
Grill the chicken by laying pieces on a grill rack and pan, grill on high for 4-5 minutes per side to achieve a char without overcooking, then set aside.
Make the sauce by adding butter and ghee to a pan, sweat onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilli for 6-7 minutes. Stir in kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander, and fenugreek leaves and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add ground cashews, tomatoes, and sugar, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until oil separates, then blend until smooth.
Add the grilled chicken and any juices to the sauce, combine, simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream and remaining butter, simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring to combine and season to taste.