Name: Chicken Butter Masala
Prep time: 70 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 600g chicken thighs, cut into 2cm pieces; 120g Greek yoghurt; ½–1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; ⅛ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp garam masala; ⅓ tsp salt; 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 1 tsp kasuri methi; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 large onion, sliced; 15g root ginger, peeled and chopped; 15g garlic, chopped; 1 tsp salt; 1½–2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 625g tomatoes, chopped; 22–28 cashew nuts; 1 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1½ tsp garam masala; 1½ tsp sugar; ¼–¾ tsp ground cardamom; 360ml water; 2–3 tbsp butter; 1 green chilli; ¼–½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 240ml water, hot; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp ghee

Method

Add the to a bowl and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Add the marinade ingredients: , , , , , , , and . Mix, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
Make the puree: heat the in a pan and sauté the until transparent and it loses its raw smell.
Add the and and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the .
Add the , and . Cook over a medium-high heat until the tomatoes break down to a mush.
Stir in the , (if using), , and .
Turn off the heat and leave to cool. Blend with 240ml of the to a very smooth puree, adding up to 120ml more if your blender needs it.
Make the butter masala: wipe out the pan and heat the over a low to medium heat. As it melts, stir in the and (both optional; taste the puree first).
Strain the puree straight into the pan, making sure the pan isn’t too hot or the spices will burn. Add half the and simmer until thick and creamy.
Meanwhile, heat the in a frying pan over a high heat. Lay the chicken in the pan and cook until browned underneath, then turn and cook until golden and slightly charred. Work in batches if needed. It doesn’t need to be cooked through yet.
When the masala is thick and creamy, add the rest of the hot water and the .
Stir in the chicken and simmer for 3–4 minutes until it’s cooked through and the sauce is thick and creamy.
Taste and adjust the salt, then add the and .
Stir in the , turn off the heat and rest for at least 5 minutes. Garnish with a spoonful of cream and the . Serve with naan, jeera rice or basmati rice.

Notes

Instead of cashews, use ¼ cup (60ml) more cream, added at the end.
For a nut-free version, use white poppy seeds, sunflower seeds or melon seeds instead of cashews.
The source uses homemade cardamom powder ground with the skins. If yours is ground from the seeds only, start with ¼ tsp.
For more chicken, use up to 750g.

Chicken Butter Masala

Ingredients

Marinade

Puree

Butter masala

Method

Notes