Butter Chicken

Curry, Indian

taken from:

Tandoori Chicken Tikka


and:

Butter Chicken/ Murgh Makhani

CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 4)

  • 450gms skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 tbsp thick yoghurt/ Greek yoghurt
  • 2 tsp chickpea flour/ gram flour
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1” piece ginger peeled
  • 1 green chilli
  • 1 tsp mild paprika
  • ½ tsp chilli powder (or a little more if you’d like it spicy)
  • ½ tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • Pinch cinnamon powder
  • Pinch of saffron crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • Butter for basting

If serving as-is:

  • 1 tsp chaat masala
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • Salad & chutney to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli in a wet grinder and blend to a smooth paste. Mix the yoghurt with the gram flour in a bowl to get rid of any lumps to form a thick paste like consistency. Add the ginger, garlic chilli paste, paprika, chilli powder, garam masala and coriander powder. Also mix in the ground cinnamon, saffron and salt. Stir well and tip in the chicken pieces and mix well making sure to coat them in the thick marinade. Leave to marinate for a few hours or even overnight if you prefer.
  2. Soak wooden skewers in water. Preheat the grill on medium. Shake off the excess marinade and thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers and place them on a wire rack. Cook under the grill for 15-20 minutes. Turn the skewers every 5 minutes & baste with melted butter until the juices run clear and they are cooked through slightly charred around the edges.

CURRY

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
  • 5 green cardamom pods lightly crushed
  • 1” cinnamon stick
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 heaped tbsp grated ginger
  • 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
  • 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (or mild paprika)
  • ½ tsp garam masala powder
  • 3 tbsp tomato puree
  • 150mls double cream
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp Kasoori methi/ fenugreek leaf powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Chopped coriander for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Follow my recipe for Tandoori Chicken in the Chicken category. This can even be done a few hours in advance. Once the chicken is cooked set aside and proceed to make the makhani sauce below
  2. Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan and add the butter. Add green cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves. Fry for 20 seconds, add the onions and sauté for 5-7 mins on medium heat until they take on a light brown colour.
  3. Add the grated ginger and slit green chillies. Fry for a further minute and add the chilli powder, garam masala powder along with the tomato puree. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Now gradually add the double cream stirring continuously to mix all the spices with the cream. Simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  4. At this stage add a splash of water if the curry is too thick. Stir in the honey and the fenugreek powder. Season to taste. Now add the cooked chicken pieces and simmer the curry on a low heat for 8-10 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve with roti or paratha.