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5 from 1 vote

Butter Chicken

Grilled chicken in a luscious tomato-based spiced curry sauce.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword butter chicken, butter chicken sauce, grilled chicken, Indian cuisine, indian food
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Author Noreen @PictureTheRecipe.com

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts/ Thighs boneless
  • 1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder Kashmiri Chilli or a mix of Cayenne & Paprika
  • 2 Tbsp Greek Yogurt plain
  • 1 Lime juiced
  • Salt to taste

For the Sauce:

    Spices

    • 1/2 inch Cinnamon Stick
    • 2-3 Cloves
    • 2-3 Green Cardamom Pods
    • 1 Bay Leaf
    • 1/4 cup Butter
    • 1 medium Onion diced
    • 1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
    • 1-2 green chillies (thai)
    • 1 (15oz) can Tomato Puree (not suace)
    • 6-8 cashews soaked in hot water
    • 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
    • 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
    • 2 tsp Red chili powder (mix of cayenne & Paprika works)
    • 2 Tbsp Sugar
    • Chicken stock/water
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1 handful fresh cilantro chopped

    Instructions

    For the Chicken

    • Mix the garlic-ginger, chili powder, yogurt, salt and lime juice to make a paste. Apply it to the chicken pieces (keeping them whole or in big pieces for easy grilling) , marinate and let it
      sit for at least 30 mins or longer.
    • Once  marinated cook on high heat on the grill to get a charred flavor. The chicken doesn't need to cook all the way through, you'll be cubing and finishing it in the sauce.

    For the Sauce

    • Heat half the butter and a couple spoons of oil in a pot.
    • Once hot add all the whole spices and let them sizzle, then immediately add the diced onion and sauté until translucent  and soft.
    • Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1-2 minutes.
    • Add the chilli peppers, 1 can tomato puree and all the ground spices and sugar. stir and cover and cook for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. basically let all the flavors meld together and cook down until you start seeing a little oil or butter separating from the mixture.
    • Add the soaked cashews with the water and about a cup or so of chicken stock or water. Boil with a cover for another 15 mins.
    • Turn off heat and let the mixture cool enough to be able to blend it into a smooth sauce/ or if you have an immersion blender just blend in the pot directly.
    • Once blended smooth return the sauce to the pot and bring to a boil, adjust consistency with water/stock.
    • Dice the grilled chicken pieces and add it to the curry with all the chicken juices and blackened bits.
    • Stir in the remaining butter and crush dried fenugreek leaves over the top. Cover & simmer for 10-15 mins.
    • Turn heat to low and add heavy cream to finish the dish. heat through, but don't boil.
    • Turn off heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.