Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is a succulent flavorful chicken dish originating from north of India. Chicken grilled in tandoor (clay oven) cooked in rich & creamy tomato gravy is very popular in India as well as outside India. Most of the Indian restaurants overseas has Butter Chicken on the top of their menu card as well. I have grilled the chicken in grill pan on the gas stove.

Butter Chicken

1. Servings: 3-4

2. Prep Time: 30 minutes

3. Cook Time: 45 minutes

4. Difficulty: medium

5. Print

Succulent chicken preparation in buttery creamy and rich tomato gravy.

Ingredients

For Marination

1. Boneless chicken – 500 gms (preferably leg boneless

2. Thick curd – 1/2 cup

3. Juice of 1 lemon

4. Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

5. Kashmiri red chili powder 1 tsp

6. Garam masala – 1 tsp

7. Oil – 1 TBsp

For Gravy

1. Onion – 2 medium (finely chopped)

2. Tomatoes – 4 medium (pureed)

3. Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

4. Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 1/2 tsp

5. Cashew nuts – 20 nos

6. Sugar / honey – 1/2 tsp

7. Cream – 1 TBSp

8. Butter – 6-8 TBSp

9. Garam masala – 1 tsp

10. Cumin powder – 1 tsp

11. Kasuri methi – tsp

12. Salt –  as per taste

13. Warm water – as required to soak cashews nuts

Directions

1. Soak cashew nuts in warm water

2. Wash chicken thoroughly and cut into medium size cubes or strips

3. In a bowl, mix together thick curd, garam masala, kashmiri red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and oil. Whisk well until combined

4. Add chicken pieces, mix well so that marination is well applied. Keep covered in refrigerator for 2 hours preferably (but at least for 30 minutes minimum)

5. Grind soaked cashew nuts with very little water until it forms a smooth paste

6. Place a grill pan on medium heat. Add 2 TBsp butter. Once butter melts, add chicken pieces and grill those on high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Take grilled chicken out of the pan and keep aside

7. In a separate pan, add 3-4 TBSp butter (don’t be shy…It’s called Butter Chicken…It needs to be buttery!!!).

8. Add finely chopped onion. Saute until golden brown

9. Add ginger garlic paste, saute until raw smell goes (1-2 minutes)

10. Add tomato puree, mix well and continue cooking on high heat until puree gets cooked well and changes to darker color.

11. Add garam masala, cumin powder, kashmiri red chili powder and cashew nut paste. Add little water, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes

12. Add grilled chicken pieces and one cup warm water, cover and cook until the chicken and gravy gets cooked and texture is smooth

13. In a separate pan, lightly dry roast kasuri methi. Take it out of pan, crumble it and add to the butter chicken

14. Add salt, sugar /honey and fresh cream, give a stir and cook for a minute.

15. Dish out the butter chicken, garnish it with cream and serve with Tandoori Roti, Naan or Kulcha.

#Chicken #MainCourse #MediumSpicy #CashewNuts #NorthIndian #NonVeg