Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder or hot paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

2 teaspoons finely grated garlic (about 6 cloves), divided

1 1/2 teaspoons peeled and finely grated ginger (from a 1-inch piece), divided

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 small lemon)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons raw cashews

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, divided

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small or 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 green Thai bird’s-eye chile or serrano pepper, finely chopped (remove the seeds from the serrano before chopping)

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes and their juices

1 tablespoon heavy cream or coconut cream (optional)

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Cooked basmati rice or naan, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Stir 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder, and 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric together in a small bowl.

Step 2

Transfer 2 1/8 teaspoons of the spice blend to a medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic, 3/4 teaspoon of the grated ginger, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt. (If you’d like to marinate in a bag, whisk together in a small bowl, then pour into a large zip-top bag.)

Step 3

Add 2 pounds cut-up boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the marinade and mix until each piece is well-coated. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to overnight.

Step 4

When ready to cook, place 3 tablespoons cashews in a heatproof bowl and add enough boiling water to cover.

Step 5

Prepare a double layer of paper towels. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the paper towels, cover with more towels, and pat dry.

Step 6

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the chicken in a single layer and sear until dark brown or charred spots form on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. (It’s okay if some of them burn a little, you want to mimic the tandoori effect as much as possible.) Transfer to a bowl (the chicken may not be cooked through). Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet and repeat searing the remaining chicken and transferring to the bowl.

Step 7

Turn off the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the water to the skillet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Scrape into the bowl of chicken.

Step 8

Wipe the skillet clean. Melt 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and cook until fragrant and sizzling, about 1 minute.

Step 9

Add 1 finely chopped small red onion, 1/2 finely chopped green chile, and the remaining 1 teaspoon grated garlic and 3/4 teaspoon grated ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Step 10

Stir in the remaining spice mixture, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, and 1 pinch kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until the spices are toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens in color and caramelizes, 1 to 3 minutes.

Step 11

Transfer the mixture into a blender. Drain the cashews and add the cashews to the blender. Add 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, the remaining 1 1/2 cups water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until very smooth.

Step 12

Pour the blended mixture back into the same skillet. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. The heat must be low, otherwise the mixture will splutter too much and begin to burn at the bottom. (This is a great time to make rice or naan.)

Step 13

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld, about 5 minutes more.

Step 14

Stir in 1 tablespoon heavy cream if using and the remaining 3 tablespoons unsalted butter until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with cooked basmati rice or naan.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Serves 4
• Calories: 658 cal
• Total Fat: 36.6 g
• Saturated Fat: 14.6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0.0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 1171.7 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 31.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.2 g
• Total Sugars: 8.1 g
• Protein: 51.5 g