Butter Chicken
Creamy butter chicken with cashew nuts and double cream: chicken thighs marinated in yogurt, lemon and spices, finished with dried fenugreek leaves.
TOTAL TIME
4 hr 46 min
ACTIVE TIME
35 min
QUANTITY
~2.35 kg
DIFFICULTY
Medium
CUISINE
—
Who’s eating
A
Cooking for A typical adult.
This should leave everyone comfortably full.
Ingredients0/23
Tools0/18
Ingredients0/23 gathered · 4 servings
boneless, skinless, cut into 4 cm pieces800g150g
1piece
2tsp
2tsp
2tsp
2tsp
1tsp
1.5tsp
6clove
30g
2piece
30ml
60g
4piece
3piece
1piece
600g
40g
100ml
120ml
1tsp
1tbsp| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 800g | boneless, skinless, cut into 4 cm pieces | — | |
| 2 | 150g | — | — | ||
| 3 | | 1piece | — | — | |
| 4 | | 2tsp | — | — | |
| 5 | | 2tsp | — | — | |
| 6 | | 2tsp | — | — | |
| 7 | | 2tsp | — | — | |
| 8 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 9 | | 1.5tsp | — | — | |
| 10 | | 6clove | — | — | |
| 11 | | 30g | — | — | |
| 12 | | 2piece | — | — | |
| 13 | | 30ml | — | — | |
| 14 | | 60g | — | — | |
| 15 | | 4piece | — | — | |
| 16 | | 3piece | — | — | |
| 17 | | 1piece | — | — | |
| 18 | | 600g | — | — | |
| 19 | | 40g | — | — | |
| 20 | | 100ml | — | — | |
| 21 | | 120ml | — | — | |
| 22 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 23 | | 1tbsp | — | — |
Tools19 items
Serveware1 item
Procedure57 steps
1 of 57
Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl.
Chicken thigh · 800 g
⏱ 10s
ResultChicken thigh2 of 57
Spoon the yogurt over the chicken.
Plain whole-milk yogurt · 150 g
⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh and plain whole-milk yogurt3 of 57
Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice over the chicken.
Lemon · 1 piece
⏱ 15s
ResultChicken thigh and plain whole-milk yogurt and lemon4 of 57
Add the ground cumin to the bowl.
Ground cumin · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh mixture5 of 57
Add the ground coriander to the bowl.
Ground coriander · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh mixture6 of 57
Add the Kashmiri chilli powder to the bowl.
Kashmiri chilli powder · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh mixture7 of 57
Add the garam masala to the bowl.
Garam masala · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh mixture8 of 57
Add the ground turmeric to the bowl.
Ground turmeric · 0.5 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh mixture9 of 57
Add the salt to the bowl.
Salt · 0.75 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh mixture10 of 57
Press each garlic clove flat with the side of the knife to loosen the skin, then pull the skin away and discard it.
Garlic · 3 clove
⏱ 30s
ResultPeeled garlic cloves11 of 57
Rock the knife over the peeled garlic cloves, working back and forth until finely minced.
⏱ 30s
ResultFinely minced garlic12 of 57
Scrape the minced garlic into the chicken bowl.
⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh mixture13 of 57
Scrape the skin from the ginger with the edge of a spoon or peel it with a peeler.
Fresh ginger · 15 g
⏱ 20s
ResultPeeled fresh ginger14 of 57
Grate the peeled ginger on the fine side of the grater.
⏱ 20s
ResultFinely grated fresh ginger15 of 57
Add the grated ginger to the chicken bowl.
⏱ 5s
ResultChicken thigh mixture16 of 57
Turn everything together with a wooden spoon until every piece of chicken is thoroughly coated in the spiced yogurt marinade.
⏱ 30s
ResultMarinated chicken17 of 57
Stretch a sheet of cling film tightly over the bowl to seal it.
⏱ 10s
18 of 57
Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator.
⏱ 10s
ResultMarinated chicken19 of 57
Leave the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavour.
⏱ 4 hr
ResultOvernight marinated chicken20 of 57
Take the bowl of marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter.
⏱ 5s
ResultOvernight marinated chickenused in step 4821 of 57
Cut the tops and roots off the onions, then peel away and discard the papery skins.
Yellow onion · 2 piece⏱ 30s
ResultPeeled yellow onion22 of 57
Cut the peeled onions into rough chunks — precision does not matter here as they will be blended.
⏱ 40s
ResultRoughly chopped yellow onion23 of 57
Tip the chopped onion into a large heavy-based saucepan.
⏱ 5s
ResultRoughly chopped yellow onion24 of 57
Pour the neutral oil over the onion.
Neutral oil · 30 ml⏱ 5s
ResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil25 of 57
Add half the butter to the saucepan.
Unsalted butter · 30 g⏱ 5s
ResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil and unsalted butter26 of 57
Drop in the cardamom pods.
Green cardamom pods · 4 piece⏱ 5s
ResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil mixture27 of 57
Add the whole cloves.
Cloves · 3 piece⏱ 5s
ResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil mixture28 of 57
Snap in the cinnamon stick.
Cinnamon stick · 1 piece⏱ 5s
ResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil mixture29 of 57
Peel the remaining garlic cloves.
Garlic · 3 clove⏱ 20s
ResultPeeled garlic cloves30 of 57
Drop the peeled garlic cloves straight into the saucepan.
⏱ 5s
ResultPeeled garlic clove and roughly chopped yellow onion mixture31 of 57
Peel the remaining piece of ginger.
Fresh ginger · 15 g⏱ 20s
ResultPeeled fresh ginger32 of 57
Cut the peeled ginger into rough slices.
⏱ 15s
ResultRoughly chopped ginger33 of 57
Add the chopped ginger to the saucepan.
⏱ 5s
ResultRoughly chopped ginger and peeled garlic clove mixture34 of 57
Add the plum tomatoes to the saucepan, breaking them up roughly with your hands as you go.
Plum tomatoes · 600 g⏱ 10s
ResultPlum tomato mixture35 of 57
Tip in the cashew nuts.
Cashew nuts · 40 g⏱ 5s
ResultPlum tomato mixture36 of 57
Add the remaining ground cumin.
Ground cumin · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultPlum tomato mixture37 of 57
Add the remaining ground coriander.
Ground coriander · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultPlum tomato mixture38 of 57
Add the remaining Kashmiri chilli powder.
Kashmiri chilli powder · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultPlum tomato mixture39 of 57
Add the remaining garam masala.
Garam masala · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultPlum tomato mixture40 of 57
Add the remaining ground turmeric.
Ground turmeric · 0.5 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultPlum tomato mixture41 of 57
Pour in the water.
Water · 100 ml⏱ 5s
ResultPlum tomato mixture42 of 57
Add the salt.
Salt · 0.75 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultPlum tomato mixture43 of 57
Set the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely soft and the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, jammy mixture.
⏱ 25 min
ResultSoftened tomato and onion mixture44 of 57
Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool until it is no longer steaming.
⏱ 10 min
ResultCooled tomato and onion mixture45 of 57
Pour the cooled mixture into a blender.
⏱ 10s
ResultCooled tomato and onion mixture46 of 57
Blend on high speed until completely smooth, then pass the sauce through a sieve back into the saucepan, pressing with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible, and discard the fibrous solids and whole spices left behind.
⏱ 1 min
ResultSmooth makhani sauceused in step 5247 of 57
Preheat the oven
⏱ 10 min
48 of 57
Tip the marinated chicken and all the marinade into a large baking dish (about 30 × 20 cm) and spread the pieces out in a single layer.
⏱ 10s
ResultArranged marinated chicken49 of 57
Slide the large baking dish into the oven.
⏱ 10s
ResultArranged marinated chicken50 of 57
Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the marinade has caught and charred in places.
⏱ 25 min
ResultCharred roasted chicken51 of 57
Using oven gloves, carefully pull the dish out of the oven.
⏱ 10s
ResultCharred roasted chicken52 of 57
Tip the roasted chicken and all its resting juices into the saucepan with the makhani sauce.
⏱ 15s
ResultCharred roasted chicken combined with makhani sauce53 of 57
Pour the double cream into the saucepan.
Double cream · 120 ml⏱ 5s
ResultCharred roasted chicken and double cream54 of 57
Add the remaining butter to the saucepan.
Unsalted butter · 30 g⏱ 5s
ResultCharred roasted chicken and double cream and unsalted butter55 of 57
Add the sugar to balance the acidity.
Sugar · 1 tsp⏱ 5s
ResultCharred roasted chicken mixture56 of 57
Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms and let them fall into the saucepan.
Dried fenugreek leaves · 1 tbsp⏱ 10s
ResultCharred roasted chicken mixture57 of 57
Set the pan over a medium-low heat and simmer, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, until the butter has melted into the sauce and the chicken is piping hot throughout. Check the thickest piece reads 74 °C on a thermometer.
⏱ 10 min
ResultButter chickenTotal Time4 hr 46 min
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 800 g | | Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl.⏱ 10sResultChicken thigh |
| 2 | 150 g | | Spoon the yogurt over the chicken.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh and plain whole-milk yogurt |
| 3 | 1 piece | | Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice over the chicken.⏱ 15sResultChicken thigh and plain whole-milk yogurt and lemon |
| 4 | 1 tsp | | Add the ground cumin to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh mixture |
| 5 | 1 tsp | | Add the ground coriander to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh mixture |
| 6 | 1 tsp | | Add the Kashmiri chilli powder to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh mixture |
| 7 | 1 tsp | | Add the garam masala to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh mixture |
| 8 | 0.5 tsp | | Add the ground turmeric to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh mixture |
| 9 | 0.75 tsp | | Add the salt to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh mixture |
| 10 | 3 clove | | Press each garlic clove flat with the side of the knife to loosen the skin, then pull the skin away and discard it.⏱ 30sResultPeeled garlic cloves |
| 11 | Peeled garlic clovesstep 10 | | Rock the knife over the peeled garlic cloves, working back and forth until finely minced.⏱ 30sResultFinely minced garlic |
| 12 | Finely minced garlicstep 11 | | Scrape the minced garlic into the chicken bowl.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh mixture |
| 13 | 15 g | | Scrape the skin from the ginger with the edge of a spoon or peel it with a peeler.⏱ 20sResultPeeled fresh ginger |
| 14 | Peeled fresh gingerstep 13 | | Grate the peeled ginger on the fine side of the grater.⏱ 20sResultFinely grated fresh ginger |
| 15 | Finely grated fresh gingerstep 14 | | Add the grated ginger to the chicken bowl.⏱ 5sResultChicken thigh mixture |
| 16 | — | | Turn everything together with a wooden spoon until every piece of chicken is thoroughly coated in the spiced yogurt marinade.⏱ 30sResultMarinated chicken |
| 17 | — | | Stretch a sheet of cling film tightly over the bowl to seal it.⏱ 10s |
| 18 | — | | Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator.⏱ 10sResultMarinated chicken |
| 19 | — | | Leave the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavour.⏱ 4 hrResultOvernight marinated chicken |
| 20 | — | | Take the bowl of marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter.⏱ 5sResultOvernight marinated chickenused in step 48 |
| 21 | 2 piece | | Cut the tops and roots off the onions, then peel away and discard the papery skins.⏱ 30sResultPeeled yellow onion |
| 22 | Peeled yellow onionstep 21 | | Cut the peeled onions into rough chunks — precision does not matter here as they will be blended.⏱ 40sResultRoughly chopped yellow onion |
| 23 | Roughly chopped yellow onionstep 22 | | Tip the chopped onion into a large heavy-based saucepan.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped yellow onion |
| 24 | 30 ml | | Pour the neutral oil over the onion.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil |
| 25 | 30 g | | Add half the butter to the saucepan.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil and unsalted butter |
| 26 | 4 piece | | Drop in the cardamom pods.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil mixture |
| 27 | 3 piece | | Add the whole cloves.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil mixture |
| 28 | 1 piece | | Snap in the cinnamon stick.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped yellow onion and neutral oil mixture |
| 29 | 3 clove | | Peel the remaining garlic cloves.⏱ 20sResultPeeled garlic cloves |
| 30 | Peeled garlic clovesstep 29 | | Drop the peeled garlic cloves straight into the saucepan.⏱ 5sResultPeeled garlic clove and roughly chopped yellow onion mixture |
| 31 | 15 g | | Peel the remaining piece of ginger.⏱ 20sResultPeeled fresh ginger |
| 32 | Peeled fresh gingerstep 31 | | Cut the peeled ginger into rough slices.⏱ 15sResultRoughly chopped ginger |
| 33 | Roughly chopped gingerstep 32 | | Add the chopped ginger to the saucepan.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped ginger and peeled garlic clove mixture |
| 34 | 600 g | | Add the plum tomatoes to the saucepan, breaking them up roughly with your hands as you go.⏱ 10sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 35 | 40 g | | Tip in the cashew nuts.⏱ 5sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 36 | 1 tsp | | Add the remaining ground cumin.⏱ 5sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 37 | 1 tsp | | Add the remaining ground coriander.⏱ 5sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 38 | 1 tsp | | Add the remaining Kashmiri chilli powder.⏱ 5sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 39 | 1 tsp | | Add the remaining garam masala.⏱ 5sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 40 | 0.5 tsp | | Add the remaining ground turmeric.⏱ 5sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 41 | 100 ml | | Pour in the water.⏱ 5sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 42 | 0.75 tsp | | Add the salt.⏱ 5sResultPlum tomato mixture |
| 43 | — | | Set the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely soft and the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, jammy mixture.⏱ 25 minResultSoftened tomato and onion mixture |
| 44 | — | | Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool until it is no longer steaming.⏱ 10 minResultCooled tomato and onion mixture |
| 45 | Cooled tomato and onion mixturestep 44 | | Pour the cooled mixture into a blender.⏱ 10sResultCooled tomato and onion mixture |
| 46 | — | | Blend on high speed until completely smooth, then pass the sauce through a sieve back into the saucepan, pressing with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible, and discard the fibrous solids and whole spices left behind.⏱ 1 minResultSmooth makhani sauceused in step 52 |
| 47 | — | | Preheat the oven⏱ 10 min |
| 48 | Overnight marinated chickenstep 20 | Tip the marinated chicken and all the marinade into a large baking dish (about 30 × 20 cm) and spread the pieces out in a single layer.⏱ 10sResultArranged marinated chicken | |
| 49 | — | | Slide the large baking dish into the oven.⏱ 10sResultArranged marinated chicken |
| 50 | — | | Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the marinade has caught and charred in places.⏱ 25 minResultCharred roasted chicken |
| 51 | — | | Using oven gloves, carefully pull the dish out of the oven.⏱ 10sResultCharred roasted chicken |
| 52 | Smooth makhani saucestep 46 | | Tip the roasted chicken and all its resting juices into the saucepan with the makhani sauce.⏱ 15sResultCharred roasted chicken combined with makhani sauce |
| Charred roasted chickenstep 51 | |||
| 53 | 120 ml | | Pour the double cream into the saucepan.⏱ 5sResultCharred roasted chicken and double cream |
| 54 | 30 g | | Add the remaining butter to the saucepan.⏱ 5sResultCharred roasted chicken and double cream and unsalted butter |
| 55 | 1 tsp | | Add the sugar to balance the acidity.⏱ 5sResultCharred roasted chicken mixture |
| 56 | 1 tbsp | | Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms and let them fall into the saucepan.⏱ 10sResultCharred roasted chicken mixture |
| 57 | — | | Set the pan over a medium-low heat and simmer, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, until the butter has melted into the sauce and the chicken is piping hot throughout. Check the thickest piece reads 74 °C on a thermometer.⏱ 10 minResultButter chicken |
| Total Time | 4 hr 46 min | ||
Serving
- Ladle the butter chicken generously into a warm serving bowl and bring it straight to the table.
Nutritionper serving
Estimated · pre-cooking · 97% ingredients covered
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| 743kcal | |
| 47g | |
| 46g | |
| 18g | |
| 28g | |
| 14g | |
| 7g | |
| 1,120mg |
Ingredients0/23
Tools0/18
Recipe
Butter Chicken
Creamy butter chicken with cashew nuts and double cream: chicken thighs marinated in yogurt, lemon and spices, finished with dried fenugreek leaves.
What you’ll doYou will marinate chicken thighs in yogurt and spices for at least four hours or overnight. While it rests, you will cook onions, tomatoes, nuts, and spices until jammy, then blend and sieve the mixture into a smooth sauce. You will roast the marinated chicken in the oven until charred, then combine it with the sauce, cream, and butter, simmering until piping hot.
Serves4
Total4 hr 46 min
LevelMedium
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, cut into 4 cm pieces800 g
- Plain whole-milk yogurt150 g
- Lemon1 piece
- Ground cumin2 tsp
- Ground coriander2 tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder2 tsp
- Garam masala2 tsp
- Ground turmeric1 tsp
- Salt1.5 tsp
- Garlic6 clove
- Fresh ginger30 g
- Yellow onion2 piece
- Neutral oil30 ml
- Unsalted butter60 g
- Green cardamom pods4 piece
- Cloves3 piece
- Cinnamon stick1 piece
- Plum tomatoes600 g
- Cashew nuts40 g
- Water100 ml
- Double cream120 ml
- Sugar1 tsp
- Dried fenugreek leaves1 tbsp
Tools
SpoonSieveLarge baking dishOvenLarge heavy based saucepanChef's knifeLarge bowlCling filmCitrus juicerWooden spoonRefrigeratorBlenderGraterPeelerLadleServing bowlOven gloveChopping boardThermometer
Method
1
Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl.
10sLarge bowlChicken thigh · 800 g
2
Spoon the yogurt over the chicken.
5sLarge bowlPlain whole-milk yogurt · 150 g
3
Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice over the chicken.
15sLarge bowl, Citrus juicerLemon · 1 piece
4
Add the ground cumin to the bowl.
5sLarge bowlGround cumin · 1 tsp
5
Add the ground coriander to the bowl.
5sLarge bowlGround coriander · 1 tsp
6
Add the Kashmiri chilli powder to the bowl.
5sLarge bowlKashmiri chilli powder · 1 tsp
7
Add the garam masala to the bowl.
5sLarge bowlGaram masala · 1 tsp
8
Add the ground turmeric to the bowl.
5sLarge bowlGround turmeric · 0.5 tsp
9
Add the salt to the bowl.
5sLarge bowlSalt · 0.75 tsp
10
Press each garlic clove flat with the side of the knife to loosen the skin, then pull the skin away and discard it.
30sChopping board, Chefs knifeGarlic · 3 clove
11
Rock the knife over the peeled garlic cloves, working back and forth until finely minced.
30sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled garlic cloves · step 10
12
Scrape the minced garlic into the chicken bowl.
5sLarge bowlFinely minced garlic · step 11
13
Scrape the skin from the ginger with the edge of a spoon or peel it with a peeler.
20sChopping board, Peeler, SpoonFresh ginger · 15 g
14
Grate the peeled ginger on the fine side of the grater.
20sChopping board, GraterPeeled fresh ginger · step 13
15
Add the grated ginger to the chicken bowl.
5sLarge bowlFinely grated fresh ginger · step 14
16
Turn everything together with a wooden spoon until every piece of chicken is thoroughly coated in the spiced yogurt marinade.
30sLarge bowl, Wooden spoon
17
Stretch a sheet of cling film tightly over the bowl to seal it.
10sLarge bowl, Cling film
18
Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator.
10sLarge bowl, Refrigerator
19
Leave the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavour.
4 hrLarge bowl
20
Take the bowl of marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter.
Result · Overnight marinated chicken · used in step 48
5sLarge bowl, Refrigerator
21
Cut the tops and roots off the onions, then peel away and discard the papery skins.
30sChopping board, Chefs knifeYellow onion · 2 piece
22
Cut the peeled onions into rough chunks — precision does not matter here as they will be blended.
40sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled yellow onion · step 21
23
Tip the chopped onion into a large heavy-based saucepan.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanRoughly chopped yellow onion · step 22
24
Pour the neutral oil over the onion.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanNeutral oil · 30 ml
25
Add half the butter to the saucepan.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanUnsalted butter · 30 g
26
Drop in the cardamom pods.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanGreen cardamom pods · 4 piece
27
Add the whole cloves.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanCloves · 3 piece
28
Snap in the cinnamon stick.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanCinnamon stick · 1 piece
29
Peel the remaining garlic cloves.
20sChopping board, Chefs knifeGarlic · 3 clove
30
Drop the peeled garlic cloves straight into the saucepan.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanPeeled garlic cloves · step 29
31
Peel the remaining piece of ginger.
20sChopping board, Chefs knifeFresh ginger · 15 g
32
Cut the peeled ginger into rough slices.
15sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled fresh ginger · step 31
33
Add the chopped ginger to the saucepan.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanRoughly chopped ginger · step 32
34
Add the plum tomatoes to the saucepan, breaking them up roughly with your hands as you go.
10sLarge heavy based saucepanPlum tomatoes · 600 g
35
Tip in the cashew nuts.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanCashew nuts · 40 g
36
Add the remaining ground cumin.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanGround cumin · 1 tsp
37
Add the remaining ground coriander.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanGround coriander · 1 tsp
38
Add the remaining Kashmiri chilli powder.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanKashmiri chilli powder · 1 tsp
39
Add the remaining garam masala.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanGaram masala · 1 tsp
40
Add the remaining ground turmeric.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanGround turmeric · 0.5 tsp
41
Pour in the water.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanWater · 100 ml
42
Add the salt.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanSalt · 0.75 tsp
43
Set the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely soft and the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, jammy mixture.
25 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon
44
Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool until it is no longer steaming.
10 minLarge heavy based saucepan
45
Pour the cooled mixture into a blender.
10sBlenderCooled tomato and onion mixture · step 44
46
Blend on high speed until completely smooth, then pass the sauce through a sieve back into the saucepan, pressing with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible, and discard the fibrous solids and whole spices left behind.
Result · Smooth makhani sauce · used in step 52
1 minBlender, Sieve, Spoon
47
Preheat the oven
220°C10 minOven
48
Tip the marinated chicken and all the marinade into a large baking dish (about 30 × 20 cm) and spread the pieces out in a single layer.
10sLarge baking dishOvernight marinated chicken · step 20
49
Slide the large baking dish into the oven.
10sLarge baking dish, Oven, Oven glove
50
Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the marinade has caught and charred in places.
220°C25 minLarge baking dish, Oven
51
Using oven gloves, carefully pull the dish out of the oven.
10sLarge baking dish, Oven, Oven glove
52
Tip the roasted chicken and all its resting juices into the saucepan with the makhani sauce.
15sLarge heavy based saucepanSmooth makhani sauce · step 46Charred roasted chicken · step 51
53
Pour the double cream into the saucepan.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanDouble cream · 120 ml
54
Add the remaining butter to the saucepan.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanUnsalted butter · 30 g
55
Add the sugar to balance the acidity.
5sLarge heavy based saucepanSugar · 1 tsp
56
Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms and let them fall into the saucepan.
10sLarge heavy based saucepanDried fenugreek leaves · 1 tbsp
57
Set the pan over a medium-low heat and simmer, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, until the butter has melted into the sauce and the chicken is piping hot throughout. Check the thickest piece reads 74 °C on a thermometer.
10 minLarge heavy based saucepan, Wooden spoon, Thermometer
58
Ladle the butter chicken generously into a warm serving bowl and bring it straight to the table.
Result · Butter Chicken
20sServing bowl, LadleButter chicken · step 57
Printed 11 October 2026