Best Butter Chicken
Best Butter Chicken is flavorful with a spice rub, a marinade and a creamy cashew sauce. It is rich in a healthy way and does not involve grilling in a tandoor oven. If necessity is the mother of invention, I would argue that the ubiquitous butter chicken may be India’s most prolific creation.
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
For the rub:
- 1¾ lb chicken breasts
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper ground
- 1½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
For the marinade:
- 1 tsp birds eye chili minced
- ½ tsp cumin ground
- coriander ground
- 1½ tbsp Greek yogurt
- ¼ tsp turmeric ground
- ½ tsp rice flour
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
For the sauce:
- 1 cup cashew nuts
- 1½ cup whole milk
- 2 star anise
- 2 black cardamom
- 1 onion large
- 3 tomato puree
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- ¼ tsp turmeric ground
- 1½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt nonfat
- ¼ tsp jaggery powdered
- ½ tsp saffron strands
- few sprigs cilantro
Instructions
How to rub the chicken:
- Add the ingredients and rub onto the cubed chicken breasts and let it rest for 15 minutes.
How to make the marinade:
- Mix together the ingredients for the marinade.
- Add the chicken cubes and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
How to make the butter chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and bake the marinated chicken pieces for 30 minutes on a wire rack placed on a baking tray or until the edges of the chicken are charred a little.
- Soak the cashew nuts in milk for 15 minutes and grind to fine paste.
- Wash the sliced onion in cold water to reduce the bite and purée it.
- Heat the pot with butter and add star anise and black cardamom.
- Then, add the onion purée and sauté until caramelized for 2 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander powder and salt and sauté for 2 minutes on medium heat.
- Now add the tomato purée and Kashmiri red chili powder. Cover with the lid, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add a cup of water and the jaggery and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the baked chicken pieces and cook on medium heat for a minute.
- Finally, add the fenugreek leaves, garam masala, the cashew cream and whisked Greek yogurt.
- Turn off the heat. Garnish with some cashew cream, cilantro, cashews and saffron. Serve hot with naan, roti or rice.
Notes
- Substitute the cashew cream with whole cream based on your preference.
Nutrition
Calories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 27gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 362mgPotassium: 698mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 497IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 2mg
