Steaming butter chicken on a bed of basmati rice

Butter chicken has to be my absolute favorite Indian dish in the restaurant. It took several recipe attempts, but I think I have found one that has to be as good as the restaurant and maybe even better!

• 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• salt
• 1/2 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1″ piece of fresh ginger
• 2 tsp tandoori masala
• 1 ½ tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 4 cardamom pods (green)
• 1″ piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 large tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2-3 green chili’s, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)

Preparation

Whenever a recipe calls for tomatoes and sugar, the sugar is usually intended to counter the acidity of the tomatoes. The amount of sugar needed is often relative to the awesomeness of your tomatoes. If you plucked the tomatoes from the vine in the middle of summer, you might not even need any sugar. If you buy tomatoes from the grocers in the middle of winter, you might need a lot more sugar. What it comes down to is taste. Add the base sugar amount and taste. Then adjust accordingly.

1. Smash the ginger and garlic into a paste using a mortar and pestle.
2. Wash the chicken pieces well and cut into bite size pieces.
3. In a mixing bowl combine the lemon juice, 2 tsp of the ginger and garlic paste, tandoori masala, red chili powder, pinch of salt and yogurt.
4. Add the chicken pieces, cover and marinade in the fridge for at least 2 hours (ideally over night).
5. Place the chicken pieces on a baking sheet and cook under the broiler (top rack) for 5-7 minutes per side.  Time may vary depending on broiler intensity, distance to rack, and size of chicken pieces.
6. In a medium size sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat (careful not to burn the butter).
7. Add the cardmom, bay leaf, and cinnamon.  Fry for about a minute.
8. Add 2 tsp of the garlic and ginger paste and fry for about 30 seconds.
9. Add the tomatoes and green chili’s and mix well.  Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer on low for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes have reduced almost to the desired consistency.
10. Add the sugar and mix well.
11. Add the chicken pieces and cream.  Mix and bring to boil.
12. If the consistency is good, take it off the heat and serve. Otherwise, reduce until the desired consistency is reached.