Easy Home Style Butter Chicken

Easy Home-Style Butter Chicken

 Butter chicken is one of the best known and best loved dishes of Indian cuisine. This easy home style version, made with chicken thighs is flavourful and perfect with rice or naan!

1 -1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 8 large), trimmed of fat and cut into bite sized pieces
For the marinade:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp each: ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, cayenne pepper, turmeric

Place chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add all marinade ingredients and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate for 15 min or longer in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 420F. Line a baking tray with parchment and evenly spread marinated chicken in a single layer. Bake for about 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and lightly browned. Transfer chicken to a bowl, along with all of the juices.
 
For the sauce:
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ inch ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
½ sweet red pepper, diced
½ sweet green pepper, diced
1 can (28 oz, 796 ml) premium whole plum tomatoes (San Marzano style), pureed
1/2 tsp each: ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, sugar, cayenne pepper, dried fenugreek leaves
Salt to taste
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp each: butter, chopped fresh coriander, lemon juice

Warm oil in deep skillet over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds, let sizzle for 30 sec. Add ginger and garlic, sauté for 30 sec. Add onions and sweet peppers and sauté for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and softened. Add tomatoes, all the spices, salt and sugar. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook till the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Add cream, butter and reserved cooked chicken with its juices; mix well with the sauce. Cook for 10 minutes for flavours to blend. Remove from heat, fold in fresh coriander and lemon juice.
Serves four

For more on this recipe, including lots more step by step pictures, please visit my guest blog post on my friend Susan's site