Butter Chicken
For the marinade:
8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
150g natural yogurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1tbsp freshly grated ginger
2tsp garam masala
1tsp turmeric
1tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
For the sauce:
2tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1tbsp freshly grated ginger
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp garam masala
1 tin chopped tomatoes
sea salt to taste
100ml double cream
Begin by mixing together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, chilli powder and salt. Add the chicken thighs and stir until everything is well mixed. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour, or overnight if you have time.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat 1tbsp of sunflower oil in a large frying pan, preferable one with a lid, when it is hot add half of the chicken thighs. Cook quickly for about 2 minutes on each side, just until they have sealed and got a bit of colour. Take care not to leave them for too long on a high heat, otherwise the yogurt will burn on the bottom of the pan. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and continue with the remaining chicken thighs. Add any reserved marinade to the chicken too.
Once all the chicken has been sealed, turn down the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the onions, garlic and ginger. Cook gently for about 3 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Add in the cumin, garam masala and coriander and cook for a minute, then pour in the tin of tomatoes. Rinse out the can so it is a third full again with water and add this too. Season well and bring to the boil. Once boiling, cover, turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
After the cooking time, remove from the heat and add the cream. You then want to puree the sauce with a hand blender until smooth. You can also do this in a Nutribullet but let the sauce cool first.
Return the chicken to the sauce in the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring ever 15 minutes to prevent it sticking, when the chicken should be tender. This can also be done in the oven at 170C/gas mark 3 or a slow cooker.
Serve with boiled rice and Indian bread.
