Butter Chicken

Method

1. 01

   Marinate the chicken

   Mix yogurt, half the ginger-garlic paste, 5 g chile powder, lemon juice, and 4 g salt. Coat chicken, cover, and refrigerate 6–12 hours; keep below 4°C.

   

2. 02

   Roast to light char

   Heat the oven to 230°C with a rack over a tray. Shake excess marinade from chicken, arrange in one layer, and roast 14–18 minutes, turning once, until charred at the edges and every piece reaches 74°C.

   

3. 03

   Cook the tomato base

   Melt 25 g butter over medium. Add remaining ginger-garlic paste for 45 seconds, then tomatoes, remaining chile powder, and 3 g salt. Cook 12–15 minutes until pulpy and reduced by about one-third.

   

4. 04

   Blend and strain the sauce

   Blend the tomato mixture with drained cashews and 150 ml water until completely smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan, pressing the pulp; discard coarse skins and spice fragments.

   

5. 05

   Simmer to a silky consistency

   Add the remaining 100 ml water and simmer over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring often. The sauce should coat a spoon but flow; add hot water 15 ml at a time if it becomes paste-like.

   

6. 06

   Return the roasted chicken

   Add roasted chicken and all tray juices. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, stirring from the bottom, until the sauce reaches 74°C and clings to the chicken without separating.

   

7. 07

   Finish with cream and fenugreek

   Lower the heat to minimum. Stir in cream, garam masala, fenugreek, and 15 g butter; warm 2 minutes without boiling hard, which can split the cream and flatten the spice aroma.

   

8. 08

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat, swirl in the final 5 g butter, cover, and rest 5 minutes. Taste only now, then serve with rice or naan while the sauce remains glossy and fluid.