Butter Chicken

• 800g chicken thighs or breasts
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 1.5 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Be careful with the spice level in this recipe! If you have a low spice tolerance, then use half as much chilli powder.

In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high hat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan.

Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm.

The saucing phase

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1.5 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1.5 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 400 g crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 cup heavy or thickened cream
• 1 tbsp sugar

Heat butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes), while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala.

Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally. Add crushed tomatoes, chilli powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.

Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.

Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream and sugar through the sauce.

Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.