Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 700 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 4 cm pieces
• ½ cup plain yogurt, whisked
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, divided
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (or mild red chilli powder)
• 1½ tsp salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 30 g raw cashews
• 40 g butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 600 g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 1 can, 400 g, chopped tomatoes)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 green chilli, slit lengthways
• 1 tsp garam masala, divided
• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed between your palms
• 1 tsp sugar
• 100 ml single or whipping cream
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, to finish

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, 1 tsp salt and half the garam masala. Add the chicken and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. While the chicken marinates, soak the cashews in 100 ml of hot water so they soften for blending.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in two batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until browned in patches. It does not need to cook through. Set aside with any juices.
4. In the same pan, melt 20 g butter with the remaining 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until soft and light golden.
5. Stir in the remaining ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the coriander, cumin, green chilli, tomatoes and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
6. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes are completely soft and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
7. Remove the green chilli. Tip the tomato mixture and the soaked cashews with their water into a blender. Blend until completely smooth, then pour back into the pan.
8. Add the chicken and its juices. Simmer gently, partly covered, for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is tender and reads 74°C in the thickest piece. Add a splash of water if the sauce gets too thick.
9. Stir in the remaining butter, cream, kasuri methi, sugar and remaining garam masala. Warm through for 2 minutes without boiling hard. Taste and adjust the salt, then scatter with fresh coriander.

Tips

• Chicken thighs stay juicy in the sauce. If you use breast, cut it slightly larger and cook it only until it reaches 74°C.
• Blend the sauce for a full minute. Cashews and a very smooth tomato base give the velvety texture.
• If your tomatoes are sharp, add the sugar a little at a time and taste. The sauce should be rich and balanced, not sweet.
• Add the cream off a rolling boil so it doesn't split.