Butter Chicken

Don’t be put off with the amount of ingredients in this recipe, it’s actually very simple to make. You will surprise as to how much it’s like your chicken tikka masala from your local takeaway (but with the pleasure with making it yourself!)

What goes well with this dinner?

Apart from a old plain boiled rice, onion bhaji’s, sag aloo and a plain naan to mop up all the juices at at the end. This is a perfect fakeaway.

Top tip: when making this curry if you don’t have any Kashmiri chilli

If you don’t have any Kashmiri chilli, as it’s fairly mild and only used for it’s deep red colour, you can substitute it with 3 tsp sweet paprika and 1 tsp cayenne pepper.

Butter chicken

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Cook Time 50 minutes
Marinating Time 2 hours
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks

First marinade

  • 2 limes (juice), cut in half and squeezed
  • 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (see top tip)
  • 1 tsp salt

Second marinade

  • 50 g natural yoghurt
  • 50 g double cream
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground tumeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp red food colouring

Sauce

  • 50 g salted butter
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 400 g passata
  • ½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped (leave seeds in if you like it spicier)
  • 1 tsp desiccated coconut
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 25 g mixed nuts
  • 25 g pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp boiling water
  • 1 tbsp ground fenugreek
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • 45 ml double cream

Instructions
 

  • First marinade the chicken in the lime juice, kashmiri powder and salt in a bowl for around 30-60mins.
  • Then add all the of the ingredients for the second marinade, stir together and then place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.
  • Preheat your grill or george forman, then thread the chicken (if you don't have skewers don't worry, you can just place on the grill) and grill until lightly charred, turning occasionally but not completely cooked through.
  • In a mini food processor, blend the nuts and pumpkin seeds until finely ground, tip into a dish and mix in the boiling water, stir and set aside.
  • Heat the butter in a pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and ginger and fry for a few mins, add the passata and simmer for 5 mins.
  • Add the spices, coconut, chilli, salt and 100ml water and simmer for another 10mins
  • Add the nut and seed mixture, chicken and another 100ml water, stir together and simmer for another 10mins, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Add the fenugreek, sugar and cream, cook for another few mins and serve alongside rice and naan.

Top Tip:

  • If you don't have any Kashmiri chilli, as it's fairly mild and only used for it's deep red colour, you can substitute it with 3 tsp sweet paprika and 1 tsp cayenne pepper