Butter chicken, the quintessential indian chicken dish!

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1.5 lb chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 small piece fresh ginger
• Salt
• 2 tsp garam masala
• Juice of 1 lime

Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp neutral oil
• 1 onion
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 small piece fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2/3 cup water
• 14 oz peeled tomatoes (1 can)
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Rice (optional):

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1.5 cups water
• Salt
• Fresh coriander

Materials

• 1 garlic press
• 1 frying pan
• 1 immersion blender

Preparation

• Prepare the marinade:
  Mix the lime juice, tomato paste, crushed garlic, chopped fresh ginger, salt and garam masala. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
• Prepare the sauce:
  Pour the oil into a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic clove and chopped ginger. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
  
• Add the cumin seeds, turmeric, garam masala and water. Mix everything and cook for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The water should evaporate.
• Add the peeled tomatoes and crush them, then add the cashew nuts and water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 25–30 minutes.
  
• Pour a drizzle of oil (about 1 tablespoon) into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken marinade and sear the pieces on all sides.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth (to avoid splashing, it is best to pour it into a tall container designed for blending).
  
• Transfer the chicken pieces to the sauce and add the butter. Mix everything and simmer over low-medium heat for around ten minutes. You can add the cream at this time (and mix) or when serving.
• Rice:
  Place the rice, water and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  
• It's ready! Serve with rice, chopped fresh coriander and, if you like, delicious cheese naans.

Observations

How should you store butter chicken?
Store butter chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container; it will keep for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze butter chicken?
Of course, you can freeze butter chicken without any worries.

Can you substitute something for the chicken?
If you like, you can replace the chicken with fish or lentils (for a vegetarian version).

What should you serve with butter chicken?
You can serve your butter chicken with rice and make plain or cheese naans to enjoy it Indian-style, but it also goes very well with mashed potatoes, pasta or quinoa.

Cookware

Attributes

Questions

Photos of members who cooked this recipe