Easy
Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 800g chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
• 400g crushed tomatoes
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 large brown onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander and extra cream to serve
• Basmati rice and naan to serve

Method

1. 1
   Season chicken pieces with salt. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches 3–4 minutes until golden but not fully cooked through. Remove and set aside.
2. 2
   Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same pan. Cook onion 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. 3
   Add tomato paste and all spices. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes until the paste darkens. This blooms the spices and is key to the sauce depth.

   Don't rush this step — toasted spices make all the difference.

4. 4
   Add crushed tomatoes and sugar. Stir well. Add chicken back to the pan. Simmer 12–15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens.
5. 5
   Stir in cream. Simmer 3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Serve over basmati rice, topped with a drizzle of cream and fresh coriander.

Notes & Swaps