StormyCooks

Butter Chicken

indianfavouritestofu
Butter Chicken

Notes

This recipe results in what I will call a classic butter chicken you may find at an Indian take-out place. It's pretty simple recipe but there is a 24 marination period for the chicken.

Can be made with roasted tofu in place of the chickem

🔥 Do be mindful of the spice tolerances of your patrons. If you are unsure, reduce to 1/4 the amount of red chili powder. Serve some hot sauce on the side for the more adventurous

Cook time: - 15 minutes to prep the marination - 24 hours for marination - budget an hour for final preparation

Ingredients

For the Marinade (on Day One)

  • 1.5 lb chicken
    • Breast or thighs
    • Sometimes I just butcher the meat from half a chicken
  • 0.5 cup plain yogurt
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic
  • 1 Tbsp ginger
  • 2 tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp red chili powder 🌶️
  • 1 tsp of salt

🌶️ Do be mindful of the spice tolerances of your patrons.

For the sauce (on Day Two)

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp ghee (or butter)
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1.5 teaspoons Garam Masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 14 oz (400 g) can tomatoes (the big can)
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder 🌶️
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 cup of whipping cream OR 1 400ml can coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

🌶️ Do be mindful of the spice tolerances of your patrons.

Preparation

There are two steps to the preparation and the first step needs to be completed 24 hours before the second step.

Day one - Marination

Mise en place

  • grind slices fine in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.
  • slice chicken into bite sized pieces

Cooking

  • combine chicken with the yogurt/spice mixture
  • marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.

Day two - Cooking

Mise en Place

  • slice onion
  • chop garlic
  • chop ginger
  • don't fret about the sizes for the above items as they are all going in the blender later
  • combine the garam masala, cumin, coriander, chili powder. Bonus points if you use a spice grinder to combine.

Cooking

  • Heat oil at medium-high in a large high-rimmed skillet
  • Add chicken and cook until just cooked through (5-10 minutes)
  • Remove the chicken and set aside
  • Add the ghee to the pan
  • Add onions and cook until starting to soften (about 10 minutes)
  • Add garlic and ginger
  • Add the ground spices
  • Add the tomatoes
  • Simmer for 10-15 minutes until it is deep red colour
  • transfer the mixture from the pan into a blender
  • Blend until nice and smooth
  • Add the mixture back to the pan
  • Add the sugar, cream and stir to combine
  • Add the kasoori methi
  • Add the chicken back to the pan
  • gently simmer for 10 minutes
  • Serve with some white rice and/or naan bread

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