Indian Butter Chicken is the ultimate luxurious curry dish. Chicken thighs are bathed in a rich yogurt sauce brimming with bold spices, then simmered in a thick sauce till it reaches flavor nirvana.
Sometimes I am a glutton for punishment. It has been 90 degrees, with suffocating humidity this last week, and I only have air conditioning upstairs in our bedrooms. You would think this would be the perfect week to feature another salad, or a no bake dessert on the website. Nope! I’m hungry for curry, and I’m not taking short cuts!
Put the Indian Butter Chicken on the stove, and let it simmer away in my sauna!
Some of my friends seem to think I’m crazy for firing up the stove in this heat, but I think they don’t appreciate just how good this Indian Butter Chicken recipe actually is! Butter Curry is referred to as the General Tso’s of Indian cuisine, a highly recognizable dish that spans continents. If you are only going to make one curry dish in your life, this would be the one!
INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN
Indian Butter Chicken is the ultimate luxurious curry dish. Chicken thighs are bathed in a rich yogurt sauce brimming with bold spices, then simmered in a thick sauce till it reaches flavor nirvana.
Author: Fox Valley Foodie
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp ground cumin
3 lbs chicken thighs, on the bone
¼ lb butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 medium-size tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
⅔ cup chicken stock, low-sodium
1 ½ cups milk or cream
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons chopped almonds slivers
Kosher salt to taste
½ bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine Greek yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, and cumin in a large bowl and mix together.
- Add chicken thighs to the bowl and toss to coat.
- Cover, and place in the refrigerator to marinate for a few hours, or overnight.
- In a large pot heat butter and oil and add onions, sauteing till golden brown. Stir frequently.
- Add garlic, ginger, and cumin seeds, cook for a few minutes longer, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, cinnamon stick, and jalapeno and cook till jalapeno softens. ~10 minutes
- Add chicken and marinade to the pot, let cook for 5 minutes.
- Add stock, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Stir in milk and tomato paste and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
- Add almonds, cook for additional five minutes then remove from heat.
- Taste for salt, adding salt as needed.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.
NOTES
This recipe is adapted from the New York Times
If desired, you can debone the meat prior to cooking if you don't want to fuss with it while eating.
I recommend serving this with Basmati rice.