Description
Butter Chicken is a rich and creamy Indian curry featuring tender chicken thigh pieces marinated in a blend of yogurt and spices, then simmered in a luscious tomato and cream sauce. This classic comfort food pairs perfectly with basmati rice or flatbreads for a flavorful and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade
- 1/2 cup plain yoghurt, full fat
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5 lb / 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces
Curry
- 2 tbsp (30 g) ghee or butter, OR 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 1 cup heavy / thickened cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
To Serve
- Basmati rice
- White rice
- Coriander/cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Optional blitz: For an extra smooth sauce, combine the marinade ingredients (except the chicken) in a food processor and blend until smooth. This step is optional and not necessary for a tasty curry.
- Marinate the chicken: Combine all the marinade ingredients with the chicken pieces in a bowl. Cover it and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours, with a minimum marination time of 3 hours, to allow flavors to penetrate the meat.
- Cook the chicken: Heat ghee, butter, or oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade but do not wipe off the excess marinade. Place chicken pieces into the hot pan and cook for about 3 minutes until the chicken is white all over; it won’t brown much due to the marinade coating.
- Prepare the sauce: Add tomato passata, heavy cream, sugar, salt, and any remaining marinade from the bowl into the pan with the chicken. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chicken to cook through fully. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh coriander or cilantro leaves if desired. Serve hot with basmati rice or white rice, alongside no-fry flatbreads or papadums for a complete meal.
Notes
- Garam Masala is a ready-made Indian spice blend commonly found in supermarkets in the spice aisle.
- Use pure chilli powder or cayenne pepper as American chili powder contains additional spices; the heat here is mild.
- Ghee is clarified butter frequently used in Indian cooking; butter or neutral vegetable oil can be substituted.
- Tomato passata is pureed tinned tomatoes available in supermarkets; alternatively blend canned tomatoes as a substitute.
- For a lighter version of the curry, replace heavy cream with 3/4 cup light cream plus 1/4 cup milk, either full fat or low fat.
- To make no-fry papadums, microwave raw papadums for 45 seconds to 1 minute until puffed and crisp as they cool.
- Recipe adapted from Luke Mangan with an added salt adjustment and lighter cream option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 310g
- Calories: 402
- Sugar: 6.5g
- Sodium: 928mg
- Fat: 23.4g
- Saturated Fat: 9.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9.8g
- Fiber: 0.9g
- Protein: 39.8g
- Cholesterol: 193mg
