Butter Chicken

Method

1. 1

   Gather ingredients: 900 g chicken breast, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp kashmiri chile powder, 120 ml plain yogurt, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp garam masala, 4 cloves garlic, 15 g fresh ginger, 1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 tsp sea salt, 100 g unsalted butter, 4 whole cloves, 4 whole cardamom pods, 1 stick cinnamon, 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, 2 whole green chiles, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 800 g canned crushed tomatoes, 240 ml chicken stock, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, 120 ml heavy cream, 1 bunch fresh cilantro. Tools: knife, cutting board, mixing bowls, 12 bamboo skewers, baking sheet, wire rack, Dutch oven, immersion blender, tongs.

2. 2

   Cut chicken into 2.5cm chunks, toss with lemon juice and 1 tsp chile powder, then refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Mix yogurt, turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, half the garlic and ginger (minced), oil, and salt. Massage into chicken and refrigerate for 12 hours.

4. 4

   Preheat oven to 205 Celsius. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Thread chicken onto skewers, place on rack over baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, turning once. Brush with 30g melted butter.

6. 6

   In Dutch oven, melt 70g butter. Sauté cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon for 3 minutes. Add remaining garlic, ginger, fenugreek seeds, chiles, and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes.

7. 7

   Stir in tomatoes and 1 tsp chile powder. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

8. 8

   Purée sauce with immersion blender until smooth. Add stock and salt, simmer for 15 minutes.

9. 9

   Add chicken (off skewers), maple syrup, and dried fenugreek. Cover and cook 8 minutes. Stir in cream and 1 tsp garam masala; simmer 5 minutes.

10. 10

    Garnish with a drizzle of cream, cilantro, and sliced chiles. Serve with rice or naan.