Make this butter chicken curry with your spice rack, a dish that represents Indian food to millions of people all over the world.
Ingredients
- 800g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized portions
- finely chopped red onion
- sliced green or red chilli
- coriander leaves
- naan bread or basmati rice
- chutney to serve
For Marinade
- 120g Greek yogurt
- 4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
- Ginger, grated
- 3 tsp mild chilli powder
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp garam masala
For Sauce
- 1kg plum tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- Ginger, peeled, half grated, and half finely chopped
- 2 cloves
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1-2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 5-6 dried fenugreek leaves
- 80g butter, diced
- 75ml single cream, plus a drizzle to serve
- 2 green chillies
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp garam masala
For Spiced Butter
- 6-8 dried curry leaves
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 dried whole Kashmiri chilli
- 3 tbsp ghee (see below) or butter
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients and 1/22 teaspoon salt. Put the chicken pieces and mix until evenly coated, then cover and put in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°F. Cook for 10-15 minutes after transferring the chicken pieces to a large baking tray. After 10 minutes, flip the pieces over to colour evenly on both sides. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point because it will continue to cook in the sauce for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by slicing the tomatoes in half and layering them in a large pan with 125ml water, the grated ginger, garlic, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf. Cook, covered, for about 20-25 minutes, or until the tomatoes have completely disintegrated. Remove the whole spices and use a stick blender to blend the tomato mixture, then strain it through a sieve to make a smooth purée. Take a clean pan, add chilli powder, and cook for 12-15 minutes. It should gradually thicken. When the sauce has thickened, add the chicken pieces and any remaining roasting juices from the tray.
- Stir in the butter, a few pieces at a time, and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Cook for another minute or two after adding the chopped ginger, green chilies, and cream, making sure the sauce doesn’t split. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, fenugreek leaves, if using, and garam masala, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed before adding the sugar. Warm all of the ingredients for the spiced butter, if using, in a separate pan until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Spoon over the curry and top with the coriander, onion, and chilli, as well as a drizzle of cream, if using.
Serve with naan or rice along with chutney.
