Butter chicken

Food24
6 servings Prep: 15 mins, Cooking: 45 mins
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A rich cashew nut sauce with smoky notes gives this butter chicken recipe an authentic flavour profile reminiscent of your favourite North Indian/Pakistani restaurant.

By Naqiyah Mayat March 16 2020
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Ingredients (21)

1/2 cup cashew nuts — unsalted
2 Tbs ghee
1 cinnamon — stick
2-4 cloves
2-4 cardamom — pods
1/2 tsp cumin — whole seeds
1 onion — finely chopped
1 Tbs green chilli — ground
1/2 cup cream — reduced fat
1 cup milk — fat-free
1/2 cup water
salt — to taste
FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 whole chicken — omit wings and drumsticks
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin — ground
1/2 tsp coriander — ground, optional
3 Tbs butter
3 charcoal pieces
fresh coriander
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Method:

Toast cashew nuts in a pan to release a nutty aroma, then grind to a fine powder. In a pot, add the ghee and heat on medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, cumin seeds and onion. Sauté till golden and translucent. Add the ground cashews and incorporate them into the ghee and onion mixture. To this, add the ground green chilli (to taste) and mix well. Add the cream, fat-free or low-fat milk, and water. Add salt to taste and allow to thicken. Using a stick blender, purée and blend the sauce.

For The Chicken

Cut 1 chicken into smaller, bite-size pieces. I prefer using the meatier pieces and adding in 2 chicken fillets to make up a full kilogram. I omit the wings and drumsticks altogether. Add the lemon juice, fine black pepper, turmeric, ground cumin powder and ground coriander powder. In an oven-safe pan, add the butter. Seal the outside of the chicken. Remove from the stove-top and char under the grill in the oven. Pour the liquid from the grill pan into the sauce and mix well. You should achieve a yellow-coloured sauce at this stage. Once the chicken has browned, empty the chicken into the sauce and stir well. Light 3 pieces of charcoal and empty into a foil-lined small dish. Place in the middle of the pot containing the sauce and chicken. Add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil to the charcoal and close the lid immediately. Switch the stove off and leave the coal in for 10 minutes. Discard the coal and garnish with fresh coriander and crushed cashew nuts, if desired.

This recipe is an extract from ‘The Beginning: Indian recipes from my home’ by Naqiyah Mayat

Butter chicken



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