Butter Chicken - Indian Style

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

In a bowl, add 0.5 kg boneless chicken. Add 1 tbsp tandoori masala, 1 tbsp salt, 100 ml yogurt, juice of half a lemon, and 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste. Mix thoroughly until the chicken is fully coated. Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare Gravy Base and Fry Chicken Simultaneously

Place two pans on the stove. In the first pan (for gravy base), add 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add the roughly sliced 1 medium onion, 3 medium tomatoes, 4-5 dried Kashmiri red chillies, 15-20 cashews, 15 black pepper, 2 inches cinnamon stick, 6-7 green cardamom, and 2-3 inches mace. Lightly sauté these ingredients for a few minutes. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium to low heat for approximately 10 minutes until the vegetables soften. In the second pan (for frying chicken), add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Once the butter melts and the pan is hot, add the marinated chicken. Fry the chicken on high flame to reduce the water released from the yogurt and sear the chicken pieces. Continue frying until the chicken is almost dry and lightly browned.

Step 3: Blend the Gravy Base

Once the sautéed gravy base ingredients have softened and cooled to room temperature, transfer them to a mixer grinder. Add 2-3 sliced green chillies. Blend until a smooth paste is formed. If the paste is too thick, add a little water to achieve a creamy consistency.

Step 4: Sauté Spices for Final Gravy

Using the same pan where the gravy base was prepared, add 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Once the butter melts, add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste. Sauté the ginger garlic paste for a couple of minutes on low heat until its raw aroma disappears. Then, add 1 tbsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1/2 tbsp salt, 1/2 tbsp coriander powder, and 1/4 tbsp turmeric powder. Add a splash of water to prevent the spices from burning and sauté for another 2 minutes until the oil separates from the spices.

Step 5: Combine and Simmer

Pour the blended gravy paste into the pan with the sautéed spices. Mix well and let it cook on medium to low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the fried chicken pieces to the gravy. Stir in 1 tbsp fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) and 1 tbsp tomato ketchup. Mix thoroughly. Add a little water (from the blender jar to rinse out any remaining paste) to adjust the consistency. Stir well and let it simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the cream to fully incorporate. The oil should start separating from the gravy, indicating it's cooked.

Step 6: Garnish and Serve

Once the butter chicken is fully cooked and the oil has separated, add 100 ml of fresh cream and mix it gently. Garnish with 2 tbsp of freshly chopped coriander leaves and a small knob of butter. Serve hot with naan, roti, or rice.

• Always sauté ginger-garlic paste thoroughly to remove its raw taste.

• Add a little water to powdered spices to prevent them from burning.

• Allow the sautéed gravy base ingredients to cool to room temperature before blending to achieve a smooth paste.

• Fry the marinated chicken on high heat initially to reduce excess water from the yogurt and achieve a good sear.

• Explore other cuisines like Vietnamese, Thai, Mediterranean, or Japanese.

• For a vegetarian option, replace chicken with paneer (Indian cheese) or tofu.