Serves 4–5
- 300g boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp red chili powder
- Salt, to taste
- Oil, for pan frying
-
500g tomatoes, roughly sliced
-
100g onions, roughly chopped
-
1 tbsp garlic paste
-
50g cashews
-
1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
-
1/2 tsp garam masala
-
4 tbsp sugar
-
2 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
-
5 tbsp butter
-
3 tbsp cream, plus extra for garnish
-
2 tbsp malt vinegar
- or 1.5 tbsp white vinegar
-
Salt, to taste
-
Water as needed
Combine:
- chicken
- ginger garlic paste
- red chili powder
- salt
Mix well and let marinate for 15–20 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add the chicken pieces and pan fry until mostly cooked and lightly browned.
Remove to a bowl and set aside.
In the same pan:
- add the onions
- a little oil
- 1 tbsp of the butter
Cook until the onions soften slightly. They do not need to brown.
Add:
- tomatoes
- cashews
Mix well.
Add:
- a splash of water
- garlic paste
- salt
- vinegar
- sugar
- garam masala
- Kashmiri chili powder
Mix thoroughly.
Simmer for 15–20 minutes until everything becomes very soft and mushy.
Blend the mixture into a completely smooth puree using a blender or immersion blender.
Strain the puree back into the pan, pressing firmly to extract as much sauce as possible.
Discard the tomato skins, seeds, and other solids left in the strainer.
This step is what gives butter chicken its smooth, velvety texture.
Reheat the strained gravy.
Add:
- remaining butter
- cream
- cooked chicken
- crushed kasoori methi
Simmer for 5–7 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce thickens slightly.
Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Garnish with:
- a swirl of cream
- extra crushed kasoori methi
Serve hot with naan, roti, or rice.