Description
This Butter Chicken recipe offers a creamy, flavorful Indian classic featuring tender chicken thigh pieces marinated in a spiced yogurt mixture and simmered in a rich tomato and cream sauce. Perfectly balanced with garam masala and mild chili powder, this dish is ideal served with basmati rice and garnished with fresh coriander. It’s a home-friendly version adapted from celebrated chef Luke Mangan, providing options for lighter cream variations without sacrificing taste.
Ingredients
Units
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Marinade
- 1/2 cup plain yoghurt, full fat
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5 lb / 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces
Curry Sauce
- 2 tbsp ghee or butter (or 1 tbsp vegetable oil)
- 1 cup tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 1 cup heavy/thickened cream (light option: 3/4 cup light cream + 1/4 cup milk)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
To Serve
- Basmati rice or white rice
- Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Optional Blitz: For an extra smooth sauce, combine all marinade ingredients except the chicken in a food processor and blend until smooth, then proceed with marinating. (This step is optional and can be skipped.)
- Marinate Chicken: Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, ginger, and garlic with the chicken pieces in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours, with a minimum marinating time of 3 hours.
- Cook Chicken: Heat ghee, butter, or oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade without shaking off excess marinade (do not pour leftover marinade into the pan). Add chicken to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes until the chicken turns white all over but does not brown.
- Prepare Sauce and Simmer: Add tomato passata, cream, sugar, salt, and the leftover marinade from the bowl to the pan with the chicken. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve: Garnish with coriander leaves if desired and serve hot with basmati or white rice. Enjoy your Butter Chicken with optional side flatbread or microwave-prepared papadums for a complete meal.
Notes
- Garam Masala is an easily available spice blend found in most supermarkets and adds key aromatic flavors to the dish.
- Use pure chili powder or cayenne pepper for mild spice; this is different from American chili powder mixes.
- Ghee can be substituted with butter or neutral vegetable oil depending on availability and preference.
- Tomato passata is pureed tinned tomatoes and can be replaced by blending canned tomatoes; avoid using tomato sauce ketchup types.
- For a lighter version of the curry sauce, substitute heavy cream with 3/4 cup light cream and 1/4 cup full fat or low fat milk.
- No-fry papadums can be quickly prepared by microwaving store-bought raw papadums for 45 seconds to 1 minute until puffed and crisp.
- This recipe is adapted from Luke Mangan, with added salt and lighter cream options to suit diverse tastes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 310g
- Calories: 402
- Sugar: 6.5g
- Sodium: 928mg
- Fat: 23.4g
- Saturated Fat: 9.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9.8g
- Fiber: 0.9g
- Protein: 39.8g
- Cholesterol: 193mg
