On the menu tonight – Indian Butter Chicken!
This is SOOO good! I’ve made this dish quite a few times and it’s always a hit. That said, there are few ingredients that you may not find in your local grocery store. Also, since there are a few more ingredients that I usually cook with, I recommend being really organized and pre-measuring the spices before you start cooking.
This recipe is easily as good as what I’ve had at some Indian restaurants. I hope the next time you are in the mood for Indian food, you’ll give this recipe a try. Let me know how your version turns out.
Indian Butter Chicken over Jasmin Rice
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Loading...Indian Butter Chicken over Jasmin Rice
Ingredients
- Chicken Marinade:
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt (I used whole milk Greek yogurt)
- 4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
- 2-3 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs)
- Sauce:
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (I didn't have seeds, but I had fenugreek leaves and it worked fine)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 green cardamom pods, cracked (I didn't have this either. I used ground cardamom)
- one 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 whole clove
- 1 large onion, sliced
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (I had to order this online. I've made previous versions of this dish with other chili powder and it was ok, but I recommend finding this type chili powder)
- One 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Chopped cilantro leaves for serving
- Basmati rice, for serving (if you want to take a short cut, you can use the microwaveable rice you can find in pouches. Cook it for 90 seconds and it's DONE!)
- Naan, for serving
Instructions
The Marinade:
Whisk together the yogurt, salt, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl until combined
Either add the chicken to the bowl and toss until evenly coated, then seal with plastic wrap OR
Add the chicken to a gallon-sized zip lock baggie along with the marinade, then move the chicken & marinade around until the chicken is fully coated.
Set the baggie (or bowl) in the fridge for at least three hours. Overnight is even better.
The Sauce:
Melt 4 Tbsp of butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat
Toss the funugreek seeds, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove in the butter, stirring occasionally. Let it cook for about 1-2 minutes.
Add the onions and season them with some salt and pepper
Let the onions cook until they are golden and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes
Add the ginger and garlic, stir to combine, cook 2-3 minutes more
Add the garam masala and chili powder, stir to combine and cook another 1-2 minutes
Add the tomatoes along with the liquid, then break the tomatoes up with a spoon or potato masher
You may need to add a little water. I'll usually fill the tomato can about a quarter of the way, swish it around to get the rest of the tomato goodness from the can and add that to the pot
Bring it all to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook about 30 minutes
Take out the bay leaves and cinnamon stick
If you have an immersion blender, use it to puree everything in the pot. If you don't have that tool, let the sauce cool about 5-10 minutes, add some to a blender (no more than half way) and work in batches until it's all pureed.
Depending whether you used an immersion blender or other blender, bring the sauce to a simmer.
Taste to see if it needs any salt
Adjust the shelves in your oven as close to the broiler as you can - leaving enough room for a baking sheet with your chicken
Pre-heat the broiler to high
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside
Arrange the chicken on the wire rack in a single layer
Broil the chicken until it starts to brown in spots. You don't want to walk away, keep watching it and you may need to move the pan around to one side or the other in order get all the chicken sufficiently browned
Flip the chicken and repeat the process on the other side - it should only take 3-6 minutes per side
Remove from the oven and let it cool enough to handle
Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces
Add the chicken back to the sauce and cook 8-10 minutes - until it's cooked through
Stir in the cilantro, then server over rice and with naan on the side
