I love Indian cuisine. The spices, the aromas, the creamy texture of a tasty curry always tickles my taste buds. This dish, although I call it “curry”, is for those of you familiar with Indian cuisine, “butter chicken”.
I have a particular fondness for this dish so on one of my long trips I asked a very talented Indian chef to teach me how to cook it. And he very willingly shared his secrets. I am grateful to him.
Butter Chicken – Chicken curry
I love Indian cuisine. The spices, the aromas, the creamy texture of a tasty curry always tickles my taste buds. This dish, although I call it"curry", is for those of you familiar with Indian cuisine,"butter chicken".
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 kg chicken thigh, skinless and boneless
- 1 cup yoghurt, drained
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 Tbsp garam masala spice mix, (from supermarkets)
- 2 Tbsp cumin, ground
- ½ tsp pepper, black
- Salt
For the curry
- 80 grams butter, unsalted (see note)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 3 red hot peppers, seedless, finely chopped
- 400 grams packed chopped tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup of cream
- 5 Tbsp almonds, raw, ground with the skin on
- Salt and pepper
- Chilli powder as needed
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl. Add salt and mix to coat all over.
- In another large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well. The best way is to put on gloves and mix with your hands.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for 2-12 hours. Ideally, it is best to marinate it the day before.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge an hour before you want to cook it to bring it to room temperature.
- In a large saucepan, add the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden. Add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Add the cumin seeds and sauté for another minute, stirring occasionally until the cumin is fragrant. Add the hot peppers and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring everything to a boil.
- Then add the chicken with all the marinade. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes until everything comes to a boil.
- Dissolve the tomato paste in the broth and add it to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Add the cream and almonds. Continue cooking for 10 minutes more. Taste some of the food and adjust how spicy you want it by adding a little chilli powder if needed.
- Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.
Notes
The Indians when cooking mostly use butter after boiling and straining it to remove the solids. They call this “ghee” or “clarified butter”. If you want to make it then put 125 grams of butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it melts and the solids separate. Continue cooking until the solids turn dark in colour. Strain the butter through muslin and discard the solids. What remains is the “ghee”. You can store it in the refrigerator or use it immediately.
