Traditionally served to royalty in Ancient India, but now known across the world, butter chicken is one of the most popular dishes from Indian cuisine. Every time I visit an Indian restaurant, I don’t even have to glance at the menu because I have already planned my order in advance -butter chicken!  However, I decided to master this recipe at home as I often crave that spicy and flavorful tandoori chicken, which is coated with a silky, smooth, sweet, and tangy sauce. This dish has two parts to it: the marinated chicken and the sauce. The charred flavorful chicken is soaked in yogurt based marinade containing a multitude of spices and then drenched in that perfect buttery, sweet sauce. If you are a stickler for making things from scratch, I have provided my grandmother’s tandoori marinade recipe. However, if you are short on time (as I often am!), you could just as easily use premade tandoori masala for the marinade, which is available in most Indian ethnic grocery stores.

Ingredients (Butter Chicken)

Marinade

  • 1 and ½ pounds of cubed chicken breast
  • 2 tsp of tandoori masala**
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • ½ cup Greek unflavored yogurt
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp ginger paste
  • 2tsp garlic paste

Sauce

  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2-4 green cardamom pods lightly crushed
  • 2-4 cloves
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp. garlic paste
  • 2-3 green chilies slit
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala powder
  • 6 tbsp. tomato puree
  • 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
  • 150 mls double cream
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. Kasoori methi/ fenugreek leaf powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Chopped coriander for garnish
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

**Homemade tandoori masala powder

  • 1 tbsp red chili powder
  • ½ tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp zeera powder

Method

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 60 min

(Serves 6)

  1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Then add the chicken and coat pieces evenly. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes (best overnight). Then cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour.
  2. Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan and add all of the butter. Add green cardamom and cloves. Fry for 20-50 seconds, add the onions and sauté for 5-7 mins on medium heat until a brown color is received.
  3. Add the grated ginger and slit green chilies. Fry and add the chilli powder, garam masala powder along with the tomato puree and tomato sauce. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Now, gradually add the double cream stirring continuously to combine all components. Simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  4. If necessary, add a splash of water if the curry is too thick. Stir in the sugar, the fenugreek powder, and lemon juice. Now add the cooked chicken pieces and simmer the curry on a low heat for 8-10 minutes. Season to taste.  Garnish with coriander and serve with desired breads.