BUTTER CHICKEN

 

Butter Chicken

Ingredients (serves 4)

125ml (1/2 cup) natural yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp fresh ginger paste
2 garlic cloves sliced
1kg chicken cut into pieces
125g cashew
60g unsalted butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
1 Indian bay leaf or normal bay leaf
1/2 tsp pepper powder and salt to taste
425g of tomato puree or paste
150ml chicken stock or water
250ml (1 cup) thickened cream

Method :

Combine yoghurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chilli, ginger paste and garlic in a bowl. Add chicken and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for 5-6 hours.
Grind the cashews without water in the small jar of a mixer.
Heat the butter and oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Reduce heat to low, then add chicken and marinade, pepper powder, tomato puree, cashew powder,salt and stock.Cook covered until the chicken is soft. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cream and cook for a further 3 minutes. Taste to see if salt is enough.Add more if needed. It can be garnished with small butter pieces and chopped coriander leaves.Butter chicken would taste excellent with any kind of Indian food like rice,paratha,chapatti or roti.