Butter Chicken
A classic dish made with cashews rather than cream, its spicy but not hot.
YIELD
3 main course servings
PREP. TIME:
20 min – give or take
MARINADE TIME:
2 hour – overnight
COOKING TIME:
1 hour
Introduction
About this Recipe
My son has been infatuated with Butter Chicken, specifically, the Butter Chicken served at the mall. Following the pandemic the particular chain with his favourite dish, disappeared. I found many recipes for Butter Chicken online but none were quite right. After much recipe tweaking, this variation finally met with his approval.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
CHICKEN MARINADE
- 1/2 cup plain yogourt (don’t use non-fat)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon ginger, finely grated (about 1 inch of root)
- 1 teaspoon each, tumeric, cumin, chili powder, salt
SAUCE
- oil for cooking ( I prefer peanut oil but any cooking oil will do )
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon ginger, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon each, cumin, garam masala, coriander, salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup raw cashews – ground to a paste (or 2 Tablespoons cashew butter)
- 3/4 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 or 2 teaspoons kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves – a pinch of dried mustard is a fair substitute or just leave it out)
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes, approximately. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and add chicken. Mix to coat. Place in a plastic bag or covered storage container and leave it to marinate in the fridge – at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Heat frying pan, add oil and a dab of butter. Fry the cubed, marinated chicken in batches so that the cubes have space around them. Fry until lightly browned on all sides. Set the chicken aside, cover to keep warm.
Step 3
the sauce: with the chicken set aside you can use the same pan to make the sauce. Add a little more of your favourite cooking oil, about a tablespoon of butter to the pan and immediately add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute till the onions are limp, then add the spices and salt. Fry a few seconds longer and add tomatoes, cashew paste, water and sugar. simmer for 5 minutes or so. Add the Methi leaves.
Step 4
Transfer mixture to a blender or a if you’re using a hand blender as I do, add it to a mason jar (something with high sides and a narrow body like an old pickle jar). Blend til smooth and uniform in consistency.
Step 5
Return the sauce to the pan and add the chicken. Bring to a simmer and let simmer (very low) for another 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often.
Step 6
Serve with steamed basmati rice and/or naan and a vegetable of your choice.
Butter Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
CHICKEN MARINADE
- 1/2 cup plain yogourt (don’t use non-fat)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon ginger, finely grated (about 1 inch of root)
- 1 teaspoon each, tumeric, cumin, chili powder, salt
SAUCE
- oil for cooking ( I prefer peanut oil but any cooking oil will do )
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon ginger, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon each, cumin, garam masala, coriander, salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup raw cashews – ground to a paste (or 2 Tablespoons cashew butter)
- 3/4 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 or 2 teaspoons kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves – a pinch of dried mustard is a fair substitute or just leave it out)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes, approximately. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and add chicken. Mix to coat. Place in a plastic bag or covered storage container and leave it to marinate in the fridge – at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Heat frying pan, add oil and a dab of butter. Fry the cubed, marinated chicken in batches so that the cubes have space around them. Fry until lightly browned on all sides. Set the chicken aside, cover to keep warm.
3. SAUCE with the chicken set aside you can use the same pan to make the sauce. Add a little more of your favourite cooking oil, about a tablespoon of butter to the pan and immediately add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute till the onions are limp, then add the spices and salt. Fry a few seconds longer and add tomatoes, cashew paste, water and sugar. simmer for 5 minutes or so. Add the Methi leaves.
4. Transfer mixture to a blender or a if you’re using a hand blender as I do, add it to a mason jar (something with high sides and a narrow body like an old pickle jar). Blend til smooth and uniform in consistency.
5. Return the sauce to the pan and add the chicken. Bring to a simmer and let simmer (very low) for another 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often.
6. Serve with steamed basmati rice and/or naan and a vegetable of your choice.
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