From the Cook
1/2
Indian Butter Chicken
Instructions
1
To make the marinade: Scrape peel from the ginger with a spoon, then finely grate ginger and mince the garlic. Squeeze the juice from the lemon.
2
Put the ginger, garlic, lemon juice, yogurt, coriander, olive oil, Kashmiri chili powder, paprika, turmeric, garam masala, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend.
3
Trim and discard any fat from the chicken and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Add to marinade and stir to coat well. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Meanwhile, continue with recipe.
4
To make the masala sauce: Place almonds and cashews in a small bowl and add enough water to cover. Set aside for 1 hour to soak.
5
Scrape peel from the ginger with a spoon, then finely grate the ginger and mince the garlic.
6
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium-high heat.
7
Add the ginger and garlic and stir briefly. Add the coriander and cook, stirring, for 20-25 seconds. Add the tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium and cook masala sauce uncovered, stirring often, until excess liquid has cooked off, 5-8 minutes.
8
Stir in the brown sugar, salt, and garam masala and cook for 1 minute. Turn off heat and let masala cool for 5-10 minutes.
9
Drain the soaked nuts, and reserve the liquid. Grind the nuts in a blender or food processor to make a smooth paste, adding small amounts of soaking liquid if needed. Discard any remaining soaking liquid. Transfer the cooled masala to the blender with the fresh water and blend into a smooth paste. Scrape pureed masala into a Dutch oven and set aside (refrigerate up 1 day if making ahead).
10
Remove chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers (omit skewers if cooking chicken in a skillet). Discard marinade. Preheat a grill pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, 5-8 minutes. (Or cook chicken in skillet, adding oil if needed to prevent sticking.) Transfer chicken to a plate.
11
Set the Dutch oven of masala over medium heat. Stir in as much water as you like, depending on how thick you want the sauce to be. As the sauce begins to boil, add the grilled chicken and cream and stir well. Cover the pan and simmer about 5 minutes to blend flavors and cook chicken through.
12
Remove Dutch oven from heat. If using fenugreek, sprinkle it on top of the butter chicken, cover the pot, and let rest for 10 minutes.
13
Stir the butter chicken well in the pot, then transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with cream if you like, and serve with naan and/or basmati rice.
My Calorie Intake
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Tips & Tricks (5)
- Marinate Chicken Properly 🍗Coat chicken thighs in yogurt, ginger, garlic, and spices for at least 30 minutes (ideally 2 hours) to tenderize the meat and infuse deep flavors throughout.
- Bloom Your Spices 🌶️Toast whole spices briefly in hot oil before adding aromatics to release essential oils and intensify their complex flavors in the final sauce.
- Cream Addition Timing ⏰Add heavy cream only in the final 2-3 minutes after the sauce has simmered and reduced; this prevents curdling and maintains the rich, silky texture of authentic butter chicken.
- Nut Paste for Depth 🥜Grind raw cashews and almonds into a fine paste and add to the sauce early; this creates a luxurious, velvety base while adding subtle nutty undertones.
- Finish with Fenugreek Leaves 🍃Crumble fresh fenugreek (kasuri methi) leaves directly into the finished sauce just before serving to add a sophisticated, slightly bitter aroma that elevates the dish authentically.
Recipe Facts
Diet at a Glance
Low Sugar
High Protein
My Calorie Intake
Smart Nutrition 
Nutrition Per Serving
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Glycemic Analysis
Glycemic Index
Glycemic Load
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