Free recipe
Butter Chicken
Built around chicken thighs and plain yogurt -- the method starts by marinating the chicken in the yogurt.
A simple, well-seasoned plate that lets good ingredients do the talking. Here it's built on chicken thighs, plain yogurt and garam masala -- a medium, Indian recipe that starts by marinating the chicken in the yogurt, and is ready in roughly 55 minutes.
Worth the 55 minutes -- this is a weekend project that pays off.
A few technique steps to focus on, but nothing that needs special equipment.
Built around chicken thighs, so the flavor comes from real ingredients, not a spice packet.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless chicken thighs, cubed
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 cloves garlic and 1-inch ginger, minced
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt, cilantro to serve
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
Calculated from this recipe's own ingredient list; treat as an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Method
Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, half the garlic-ginger, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and the paprika for at least 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken 6-8 minutes until browned and mostly cooked. Remove to a plate.
In the same pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook the rest of the garlic-ginger 1 minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes, cumin, remaining garam masala, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer 10 minutes until thick.
For a smooth sauce, blend it until silky (a stick blender works well), then return it to the pan.
Stir in the cream and return the chicken. Simmer gently 5-8 minutes until cooked through and the sauce is rich and glossy.
Taste for salt, scatter with cilantro, and serve with rice or naan.
The step worth not rushing: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken 6-8 minutes until browned and mostly cooked. Remove to a plate.
