A rich, velvety, tangy tomato, spicy chicken curry
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword family meals, simple
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Cost ££
Ingredients
Murgh makhani aka butter chicken marinade
8boneless chicken thighs (remove the skin)(you can also use chicken breast)
1tbspginger and garlic paste(Tip: I bought these separately and did 50/50 to make up the tbsp. You could also sub in fresh)
1pinch of salt
2tbspGreek yoghurt
2tspKashmiri chilli powder(Tip: you can mix 50/50 cayenne and paprika or just paprika if you can't find Kasmiri chilli powder)
1/2tspgaram masala
1tbspvegetable oil
Makhani Sauce
2tbsp vegetable oil
3green chillies
4cardamom pods
2cinnamon sticks
4cloves
4bay leaves
1tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped
10tomatoes, cut into quarters
1tspchilli powder
2tbspclear runny honey
2tsptomato paste
25gunsalted butter
1tbspcashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1tspKasoori methi, (dried fenugreek leaves)
60mlsingle cream
salt
Before serving
4knobs of butter
Instructions
Marinade the chicken
Mix the chicken with the ginger and garlic paste and salt.Then whisk together the yoghurt, chilli powder, garam masala and oil.Now, massage this into the chicken and marinade for a minimum of 4 hours in the fridge
The sauce
Pierce the green chillies a few times with a sharp knife.Heat the oil in a saucepan add the green chillies, the whole spices, bay leaves and ginger and sauté for a couple of minutes.Then add the tomatoes and simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes (or until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp).
Once the tomatoes etc are cooked e, pass them a strainer or sieve and put this smooth sauce aside. Whatever is still left in the sieve (after removing and discarding the whole spices and green chillies), purée in a blender, with a little water if required. Pass again through a sieve and add to the tomato sauce. Place the sauce back on the heat, bring to the boil and add the chilli powder, honey, tomato paste and butter.Season with salt and simmer for a further 20 minutes
The final cook and serving
Grill the marinated chicken under a hot grill, BBQ or oven until cooked.Add the cooked chicken to a saucepan over a medium heat and stir in the cashews and pour in the makhani sauce. Sprinkle with the Kasoori methi, add the cream, a few more knobs of butter, stir and simmer for a few minutes.Serve with naan or rice.