Calm down. There are like twelve thousand recipes for Butter Chicken. I myself have 4. This one is the easiest of the lot but packs a real punch & makes for a very satisfying meal. It’s a one-pot wonder that skips the tandoor & uses canned tomatoes in the gravy instead of fresh. The only thing you really need is a half decent blender, a rubber spatula & a fax machine to send me your feedback.

Calm down. There are like twelve thousand recipes for Butter Chicken. I myself have 4. This one is the easiest of the lot but packs a real punch & makes for a very satisfying meal. It’s a one-pot wonder that skips the tandoor & uses canned tomatoes in the gravy instead of fresh. The only thing you really need is a half decent blender, a rubber spatula & a fax machine to send me your feedback.

—

1. In a bowl, marinate 300 gm cubed boneless chicken with 1 tbsp yoghurt, 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste, salt & 1/2 tsp each of red chilli powder and Garam Masala. Mix & set aside for 10 min.
2. Get a pot on the stove & chuck in 1 tsp butter + 1 tsp oil
3. Add the chicken to the pot & cook on medium high for 7-10 min or till the chicken is cooked
4. Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl & put the pot back on the stove. It is important to mention that if you wash the pot & throw away all the flavour we just built up, I will hunt you down & take legal action.
5. Add 1 tsp oil, and throw in 1 cup of chopped onion, 1 cup (or half can) of diced canned tomatoes, 10 cashew nuts, 1 tsp Garam Masala powder & 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste.
6. Add 1 cup of water & mix. Cover & cook the mixture for 10 min on medium high or till soft.
7. Transfer the mixture to a blender & puree till smooth
8. Get the same pot back on the stove on medium heat & add 1 tsp oil + 1 tsp butter
9. Once the butter melts, add 1/2 tsp turmeric + 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder & cook for 1 min
10. Pour in the blended tomato mixture. If you used fresh tomatoes, run the mix through a strainer to get rid of the seeds & skins. Gently mix.
11. Now add 1/2 tsp honey, 1 tsp cream & season with salt
12. Simmer for 3 min & slide in the cooked chicken, juices & all. Mix gently & adjust consistency if you think the sauce is too thick. Cook for 3 more min & turn off the heat.
13. Important: Toast 2 tsp Kasuri Methi (dry Fenugreek leaves) in a small pan. Crumble to a powder & add to the Butter Chicken.
14. Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle some more cream on top & finish with a final sprinkling of Kasuri Methi.
15. Serve with flatbread, rice or banana pudding.