Butter Chicken
The crowd-pleaser — marinated chicken in a tomato-cashew makhani gravy, finished with butter, cream and kasuri methi. The dish that made Indian food famous abroad.
Per serving
Ingredients
- 500 gBoneless chicken
- 500 gTomatoes (boil, blend, sieve)
- 50 gButter
- 3 tbspOil
- 7–8Cashews (soak in 1/4 cup water, blend smooth)
- 1 tbspGarlic juice
- 1/2 cupFresh cream
- 2 tbspTomato ketchup
- 1/2 tspGarlic paste
- 1/4 tspBlack pepper
- 1/2 tspRed chilli powder
- 1 tspGinger, grated
- 1/2 tspCoriander (dhania) powder
- 1/2 tspGaram masala
- 1 tbspKasuri methi
- for garnishCoriander leaves
- 2Green chillies, slit
- 1/2 tspCumin (jeera) powder
- to tasteSalt
Method
- 1
Marinate chicken with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp dhania powder, 1/2 tsp jeera powder and 1 tbsp garlic juice. Rest 30 minutes.
- 2
Char-grill or pan-sear the chicken pieces for 4–5 minutes per side. Set aside.
- 3
Heat butter in a heavy pan. Add garlic paste and grated ginger. Cook 30 seconds.
- 4
Add the remaining dry spices (chilli, dhania, cumin). Add the strained tomato puree, cashew paste, ketchup and salt.
- 5
Cook on a high flame for 5 minutes, stirring, until the gravy darkens and oil separates.
- 6
Stir in the cream, then add the chicken. Simmer 5 minutes — the chicken drinks the gravy.
- 7
Crush kasuri methi between palms and add. Stir in garam masala. Off the heat, garnish with coriander and slit green chillies. Serve with butter naan or jeera rice.