Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 15 oz tomato puree
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi, crushed
• 1 tsp sugar

Method

1. Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garam masala and 1 tsp salt. Coat the chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Spread the chicken on a foil-lined sheet pan and broil until charred in spots and 165°F inside, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomato puree, cashews, remaining chili powder and the water and simmer for 15 minutes, then blend until very smooth.
5. Return the sauce to the pan, add the chicken and its juices, the cream, remaining garam masala, kasuri methi, sugar and remaining salt, and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the last tablespoon of butter and serve with naan or basmati rice.

Notes