This classic dish which is found in every Indian Restaurant in the US is so easy to prepare that you can have it as a takeout for every day of the week. If you don’t mind the butter. Also, Vadilal’s frozen Romali Roti tastes perfect with this luscious curry.
I recommend marinating the chicken for at least 3-4 hours and a maximum of 1 day. Also, only use chicken thighs, bone-in, or bone-out. I prefer bone-out because I want no interfering with the gravy and the chicken pieces. If in a pinch and you only have chicken breast, make sure to not overcook it as it would be dry, and also, the chicken breast would need a marination time of 1-2 hours.
It is not essential you use the coal during the marination part but, if you do decide to go with it, you’ll be left with that Tandoor taste. And this technique is very useful when making kebabs or biryani or any meat with marination. Just be extremely careful when you take out the coal from the bowl. Let it cool down completely before you discard it. I usually leave it out on the patio overnight in a safe steel plate and discard it in the morning.
One thing you should not omit is passing the blended gravy through a sieve, it will result in smooth, and shiny gravy.
Definitely, make this dish at home and if you do, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, my IG handle is @cardamom__saffron.
Butter Chicken
Equipment
- Baking Sheet https://amzn.to/3h5QecI
- Mixing Bowls https://amzn.to/3azJHWy
- Dutch Oven
- Aluminum Foil
- Sieve
- Blender / Immersion Blender
Ingredients
For Marination
- 1.5 Lbs Chicken Thighs – boneless and skinless
- 4 tbsp Greek Yogurt – Whole Milk
- 1 tbsp Mustard Oil (or Olive Oil)
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder (or Cayenne powder if going for less spicy)
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Salt
For Tandoor Flavor (optional)
- 1 piece of Coal
- 1/2 tsp Ghee or Oil any oil would do
- 4 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon
For Gravy
- 2 tbsp Butter Salted
- 2 tbsp Mustard Oil (or Olive Oil)
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 3-4 pods of Green Cardamom
- 1-2 Dried Red Chili if using dried Kashmiri chilies then 1 is good
- 2 1/2 cup Red Onion chopped roughly
- 1/2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 1/2 cup Tomatoes chopped roughly
- 1/2 cup Cashews (or almonds)
Final Chonk
- 2 tbsp Butter Salted
- 1 tsp Degi Mirch Powder or Cayenne Powder if you don't want it too spicy
- 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi this is essential for a classic taste but if you're in a pinch you can avoid it
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tbsp Butter for garnish
- a handful of Cilantro Chopped
Instructions
Chicken Marination and Cooking
- Chop the chicken into 2 inch cubes and add it to a mixing bowl for marination.
- In the bowl, add in yogurt, mustard oil, ginger garlic paste, and the dried masalas except for the salt.
- Mix everything well and marinate for 8 hours and a minimum of 2 hours.
- When you are ready to cook your chicken, add in the salt.
- To add in the tandoor flavor, we will create a small bowl of aluminum foil or with a small steel bowl, we will place the cloves and cinnamons and a burning piece of coal and pour oil the oil/ghee and put on a lid so it seals the bowl completely for 10 mins. This will add a strong tandoor like flavor to your chicken.
- After 10 mins, carefully lift the lid and dispose of the coal after it has been cooled down. Make sure it has cooled down. Now your chicken is ready to be cooked.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil, which makes for easy clean-up.
- Lay the chicken pieces at least 1 inch apart.
- Cook the chicken for 20 mins and flip halfway.
- In the last 3 minutes, set the oven to Broil to get a charred texture on chicken.
- Optional – Brush the chicken with butter/ghee/oil when flipping and when taking out of the oven, it results in extremely soft pieces
- Set the chicken aside and you are ready to cook the gravy!
Gravy Making and Assembly
- In a dutch oven, add the butter and oil.
- When the oil is heated, add in the cumin, coriander seeds, cardamom, dried red chili. Add in the onions and ginger garlic paste after a minute and saute well.
- When the onions are translucent, add in the masalas – red chili powder, turmeric, salt, coriander powder, garam masala and cook well.
- The oil will start separating from the masalas in 3-5 mins, add in the tomatoes and cashews now.
- Cook the mixture for another 10 mins, if it seems to dry, add in a few tsp of water.
- Add in 1/2 cup of water and mix well, let it come to a boil. Turn the heat off.
- When the mixture has cooled down, place it into a blender and blend away until a smooth gravy is formed. Add in water as required. If you have an immersion blender this is a good place to use it.
- In a bowl, pour the gravy through a sieve so a really smooth gravy is left, you may blend the leftover with a few tsp of water and pour thorugh sieve again.
- In the same dutch oven, add in the butter, degi mirch powder. Let it heat through.
- Add in the gravy slowly, it may splatter. Mix well.
- Add in the chicken pieces to the gravy and cover and cook for 10 mins.
- Slowly add in the heavy cream, crushed kasuri methi leaves, and cilantro leaves.
- Cook it for another 5-8 mins and place in a serving bowl. Garnish with some cream, coriander leaves, and butter!
- Serve with Romali Roti or Basmati Rice and enjoy!
