Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 cup (250ml) plain double-cream yoghurt
- 2 Tbsp (30ml) cornflour (mixed with a little water to create a paste)
- ½ tsp (7ml) fine salt
- ½ Tbsp (7ml) garam masala
- ½ Tbsp (7ml) ground cumin
- ½ Tbsp (7ml) ground coriander
- Pinch ground turmeric
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 8-10 chicken thighs (on the bone)
- ⅕ cup (50g) melted butter
Sauce:
- ⅓ cup (80g) butter
- 6 pods cardamom, crushed
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 curry leaves
- ½-1 tsp (3-5ml) chilli powder
- ½-1 tsp (3-5ml) ground turmeric
- 2 tsp (10ml) garam masala
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp (30ml) PnP crushed chilli, ginger and garlic (alternatively, use 5 grated garlic cloves, 2-3 finely chopped chillies and 1cm knob fresh ginger, grated)
- 2 Tbsp (30ml) tomato paste
- 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes, puréed
- Pinch sugar
- ⅓ cup (80g) cream
- Lemon juice, to taste
- Flatbreads or cooked rice, for serving
Method
- Preheat oven to 220°C.
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a jug.
- Place chicken in a dish and pour over marinade.
- Marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.
- Place chicken on a wire rack in a baking tray.
- Brush with melted butter.
- Bake chicken on a high oven rack for 20-25 minutes.
- Switch over to the oven grill and cook chicken for a further 5-8 minutes or until lightly charred. Remove and set aside.
- For sauce, melt butter in a pot, add spices and cook for 1 minute.
- Add onion and crushed chilli-ginger garlic mix, and cook for 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and puréed tomatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Mix sugar into cream and add to pot, stirring to combine.
- Add cooked chicken with a splash of lemon juice.
- Simmer for 10-12 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Serve with flatbreads or rice.
