Which is the insanely delicious Indian curry that has fascinated foodies around the world? Without a doubt, I could say, butter chicken. I know, this blog will be incomplete without this fabulous recipe (with a restaurant style upgrade).
Usually, most of the recipes come out really good the very first time I try them, and then I make them again before sharing the recipes with you.
But this one has a completely different story. It has gone through plenty of trails and errors before coming down to this special recipe.
Honestly, the very first butter chicken I made was absolutely delicious, but it missed that ‘something’ I was looking for. I wanted it to be more rich and creamy. So to make the sauce taste amazing, I added two more ingredients to the recipe – yogurt and milk. And they literally made a remarkable difference.
Again, the addition of ground cashew nuts makes it creamier. But feel free to skip it if you’re looking for a nut-free version.
This restaurant style butter chicken recipe turned out to be super creamy and bursting with deliciousness. I’d love to enjoy it with fresh homemade naan. How about you?
Before you start making this curry, get all the ingredients. There’s nothing new in the list. All are regular ingredients that you use in everyday cooking. If you want to keep the recipe nut free, it’s okay to skip them.
First, cook the chicken. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan, and add chicken. Sprinkle ground fenugreek and 1 tsp garam masala on top. Season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until browned and cooked through. Stir occasionally to make sure all the sides are browned evenly. Set aside.
While the chicken is cooking, you can start making the sauce. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan. Fry onions until softened.
Add butter, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, ground cumin, garam masala, red chili powder and lemon juice. Fry for 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste. Mix well. Fry for one minute. Add cream, yogurt and milk. Mix well. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add cooked chicken into the sauce. If you are using ground cashew nuts, add them at this stage. Mix well. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve this lip-smacking restaurant style butter chicken with naan or rice.
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large red (or brown) onion, chopped
- ½ tsp minced ginger
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tbsp butter
- Juice from 1 small lemon
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup cream
- 1 tbsp natural yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 500g boneless chicken, cut into cubes (I used thigh fillet)
- ¼ tsp ground fenugreek
- 6-8 cashew nuts, ground (optional)
- Coriander leaves, to garnish
- Naan, or basmati rice, to serve
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add chicken. Sprinkle with ground fenugreek and 1 tsp garam masala. Season with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 6-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add ginger, garlic, ground cumin, 1 tsp garam masala, red chilli powder, butter and lemon juice. Saute, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add cream, yogurt and milk. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 3-4 mins.
- Stir cooked chicken in the sauce. Add ground cashew nuts, if using. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.
I am absolutely loving the vibrant color of this curry 🙂 I will try out a non-meat version soon 🙂
Looks perfect.. Your picture do justice to the dish.
That looks so perfect with lovely color! Mouth watering
What an awesome looking butter chicken. Flavors are amazingly delish here!