Restaurant-Style Butter Chicken with Fenugreek Cream

Ingredients

• 700 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
• 3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cup tomato purée (passata)
• 0,33 cup raw cashews
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 0,5 cup heavy cream (35%)
• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1,5 tsp salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Whisk 1 cup yogurt with half the ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, and 1 tsp salt. Fold in cubed chicken and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature.

2. 2

   Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy skillet over medium-high until it shimmers without smoking. Sear the chicken in batches until edges are charred and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per batch. Set aside.

3. 3

   In the same pan, melt 3 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste and sweat 60 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

4. 4

   Stir in tomato purée, cashews, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, and 1 tsp sugar. Simmer 12 minutes, stirring often, until oil beads on the surface and the sauce deepens to a brick red.

5. 5

   Off heat, blend the sauce until glossy and completely smooth, then return it to the pan through a fine sieve for a silkier texture.

6. 6

   Reduce heat to low, whisk in heavy cream and 1 tsp garam masala. Return chicken with any juices and simmer 5 minutes to marry the flavours.

7. 7

   Crush kasuri methi between your palms and stir it in with a final knob of butter. Taste and adjust salt.

8. 8

   Rest 5 minutes off heat so the sauce clings before serving.