Butter Chicken
Tender, smoky chicken in a velvety tomato and butter sauce finished with cream and crushed fenugreek leaves. Mild, rich and made for naan or rice.
Ingredients
For the marinade
For the sauce
To finish
Preparation
20 min, plus 1 hour marinatingMarinate the chicken
Mix the chicken with the yoghurt, ginger and garlic paste, chilli, garam masala, lemon juice, oil and salt. Cover and chill.
10 min, plus 1 hour marinatingMeasure the sauce
Measure the tomatoes, spices, sugar and cream into small bowls so everything is ready when the pan is hot.
5 minCrush the fenugreek
Rub the kasuri methi between your palms to release its scent, and chop the coriander for the finish.
5 min
Cooking instructions
40 minSear the chicken
Cook the marinated chicken in a hot, wide pan or under a hot grill, turning once, until it has charred edges and is nearly cooked through. It will finish in the sauce.
10 to 12 minStart the sauce
Melt the butter in a clean pan, add the ginger and garlic paste for a minute, then the tomatoes, chilli and salt. Simmer until thick and the butter separates at the edges.
12 minSmooth it out
For a silky sauce, cool slightly and blend until smooth, then return to the pan. Skip this for a more rustic finish.
5 minSimmer the chicken
Stir in the garam masala and sugar, add the chicken and any juices, and simmer gently.
10 minFinish and serve
Stir in the cream, the crushed kasuri methi and the final spoon of butter. Warm through without boiling, taste for salt and scatter with coriander. Serve with naan or basmati rice.
3 min
Vishal's tips
Thighs stay juicy; breast works but dries quickly, so shorten the searing. Kashmiri chilli gives colour without much heat: use less of any hotter powder. Do not boil the sauce after adding cream or it can split.
