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Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken

This is one of those dishes that feels fancy but secretly just wants to be comfort food. The kind you cook on a slow evening when you don’t want outside food, but you still want something special.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the chicken marinade
  • 500 g boneless chicken thighs preferred, breast works too
  • ½ cup thick curd not watery
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 tsp red chili powder adjust, don’t suffer
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp oil or melted butter
  • For the butter chicken gravy
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 medium onions roughly chopped
  • 3 large tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 12 –15 cashews soaked
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ½ cup fresh cream
Salt to taste
  • Pinch of sugar optional
  • Water as needed

Equipment

  • 1 A deep pan or kadai
  • 2 One mixing bowl for marination
  • 3 A sharp-ish knife
  • 4 A blender or mixer for the gravy
  • 5 A spatula or wooden spoon

Method
 

Mix all the marinade ingredients with the chicken. Coat well. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes — longer if you’ve time.
    Heat a pan with a little oil or butter and lightly cook the marinated chicken till it gets some color. It doesn’t need to cook fully. Remove and keep aside.
      In the same pan, add butter and oil. Add onions and cook till soft and lightly golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook till fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook till soft and jammy. Oil should start separating — that’s your sign.
        Add soaked cashews, mix, turn off heat and let it cool slightly. Blend into a smooth paste.
          Return the gravy to the pan. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and a little water if needed. Simmer gently for a few minutes.
            Add the cooked chicken. Let everything cook together for 10–12 minutes on low heat.
              Add cream, a pinch of sugar if needed, and garam masala. Stir gently. Finish with a small knob of butter on top.