This recipe is inspired by Mallika Basu’s recipe. This is not a low-fat recipe but it is simple and is as close in taste to the Delhi-style butter chicken as it gets while cooking at home. You can make the chicken in advance and prepare the sauce before serving. Alternatively, you can find my Low Fat Butter Chicken recipe here.
Quick and Easy Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 250 gms Greek-style yogurt
- 1.5 lbs Boneless chicken thigh fillets, quartered
For the marinade
- 1 inch Ginger root finely grated
- 6 Garlic cloves finely grated
- 1 tsp Chilli powder
- 1 tsp Paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- ½ tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Salt
For the sauce
- 500 gms Tomato puree
- ½ tsp Chilli powder
- 75 ml Light whipping cream room temperature
- 50 gms Butter chilled
- ½ tsp Dried fenugreek leaves
- ½ tsp Granulated sugar
- ½ tsp Garam masala
- 2 Green cardamom pods (freshly ground seeds only) optional
Instructions
- Hang the Greek yogurt in a thin cheesecloth or muslin cloth, for about 30-45 minutes, to drain all the whey out. Discard the whey.
- Place the quartered chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl with the hung curd and all the marinade ingredients. Mix well, then cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Line a baking tray with foil.
- Preheat the oven/air fryer to 425° F. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto metal skewers.
- Put the skewers on a rack on the lined baking tray or suspend them between the edges of the tray, then place the whole thing on the top shelf of the oven. Cook for 25 mins, carefully turning every 8 mins or so until the chicken is nearly cooked and some charred bits are visible.
- Remove skewers from the oven. Slide the chicken off the skewers and place them in a bowl, covered. Reserve any juices in the pan.
- For the sauce, tip the tomato puree and chilli powder into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a bubble on high heat. Half-fill the puree jar with warm water and pour it into the saucepan, then mix and lower the heat to medium. Use a sieve to strain any reserved juices from the baking tray into the sauce. Cover and let it bubble for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken pieces to the curry sauce. Mix in well to coat. Lower the heat to a simmer, then add in the light whipping cream. Once incorporated, add the chilled butter.
- Crush the fenugreek leaves with your hand while the butter melts, then stir them through with the sugar.
- Taste and add salt, if needed.
- Mix in the garam masala and cardamom powder (if using) and serve.
