Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken

Servings: 2

A flavorful, creamy butter chicken dish made with spiced yogurt-marinated chicken and a rich tomato-cashew sauce.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade:

• 2-3lbs chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp tandoori chicken masala
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp kasoori methi, crushed
• ½ tsp salt

NOTE: I used a spice mix I bought at an Indian Grocery store near me – it is a masala chicken spice mix, and worked wonderfully here.

For the Sauce:

• 4 TBS butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 whole tomatoes, chopped (I used six small romas)
• 25–30g cashews
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp kasoori methi, crushed
• Salt to taste
• 1–2 tbsp fresh cream (optional)
• Fresh coriander, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix chicken, yogurt, garlic paste, lime juice, and all chicken spice mix ingredients. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight for best results).
2. Heat half butter in a pan. Cook the marinated chicken until browned and fully cooked (5–7 minutes). Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the rest of the butter. Sauté the sliced onions until golden. Add tomatoes and cashews. Cook until softened (5–8 minutes).
4. Add the sauce spices and cook until the mixture is fragrant and the oil starts to separate.
5. Let the mixture cool slightly, then blend it in a blender until smooth (add water if needed). Return the sauce to the pan.
6. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce. Simmer for 5–10 minutes.
7. Stir in fresh cream if using, and sprinkle in kasoori methi. Adjust salt to taste.
8. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with naan or rice. We also like plain yogurt as a topping.

Notes

• For deeper flavor, marinate the chicken overnight.
• You can skip the cream for a lighter version.