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
Servings: 3-4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: medium
Succulent chicken preparation in buttery creamy and rich tomato gravy.
Ingredients
For Marination
Boneless chicken – 500 gms (preferably leg boneless
Thick curd – 1/2 cup
Juice of 1 lemon
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Oil – 1 TBsp
For Gravy
Onion – 2 medium (finely chopped)
Tomatoes – 4 medium (pureed)
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts – 20 nos
Sugar / honey – 1/2 tsp
Cream – 1 TBSp
Butter – 6-8 TBSp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Kasuri methi – tsp
Salt – as per taste
Warm water – as required to soak cashews nuts
Directions
Soak cashew nuts in warm water
Wash chicken thoroughly and cut into medium size cubes or strips
In a bowl, mix together thick curd, garam masala, kashmiri red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and oil. Whisk well until combined
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)
Grind soaked cashew nuts with very little water until it forms a smooth paste
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
In a separate pan, add 3-4 TBSp butter (don’t be shy…It’s called Butter Chicken…It needs to be buttery!!!).
Add finely chopped onion. Saute until golden brown
Add ginger garlic paste, saute until raw smell goes (1-2 minutes)
Add tomato puree, mix well and continue cooking on high heat until puree gets cooked well and changes to darker color.
Add garam masala, cumin powder, kashmiri red chili powder and cashew nut paste. Add little water, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes
Add grilled chicken pieces and one cup warm water, cover and cook until the chicken and gravy gets cooked and texture is smooth
In a separate pan, lightly dry roast kasuri methi. Take it out of pan, crumble it and add to the butter chicken
Add salt, sugar /honey and fresh cream, give a stir and cook for a minute.
Dish out the butter chicken, garnish it with cream and serve with Tandoori Roti, Naan or Kulcha.
