Butter Chicken

Takes 720 minutes | Serves 6 |

Ingredients

1000 g chicken thighs or breast
300 ml plain yogurt
4 cloves garlic
1 piece fresh ginger
1 lemon lemon juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 piece onion
5 cloves garlic
3 pieces red chilies
1 can canned tomatoes
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3 pieces cardamom pods
0.5 tbsp whole black pepper
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
300 ml heavy cream
150 g butter
0.5 lemon lemon juice
1 bunch fresh coriander

Steps

Prepare the Marinade

• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
• Coat the chicken evenly with the marinade.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 12 hours (preferably overnight).

Make the Sauce

• Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Add coriander seeds, cardamom pods, and black pepper. Toast for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
• Transfer the toasted spices to a mortar and pestle (or use a blender/coffee grinder) and grind into a fine powder.
• In the same pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter.
• Add the chopped onion, garlic, and chilies. Sauté until the onions turn golden brown.
• Stir in the ground spices and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add the canned tomatoes, lemon juice, and heavy cream (save 1 tbsp of cream for garnish).
• Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Blend the sauce using an immersion blender until smooth.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a silky texture.
• Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in cold butter cubes, stirring continuously until the sauce becomes glossy.

Cook the Chicken

• Preheat the oven to high heat (grill function).
• Grill the marinated chicken pieces until they develop a golden color (they don’t need to be fully cooked yet).
• Add the grilled chicken (with any remaining marinade) into the sauce.
• Let it simmer gently for 25 minutes.

Final Touch & Serving

• Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and chili to balance heat, sweetness, and acidity.
• Stir in freshly chopped coriander.
• Drizzle the reserved 1 tbsp cream in thin stripes over the dish for an elegant finish.
• Serve hot with steamed rice.