Butter Chicken
Tender, marinated chicken simmered in a rich, creamy tomato curry sauce — one of the easiest Indian curries you can make at home.
- For the Marinade
- 1/2 cup plain yoghurt, full fat
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder or cayenne pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5 lb (750 g) chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
- For the Curry
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) ghee or butter, or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 1 cup heavy/thickened cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- To Serve
- Basmati or white rice
- Coriander/cilantro, optional
- Combine the marinade ingredients with the chicken in a bowl, tossing to coat every piece. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, though overnight (up to 24 hours) gives the deepest flavor.
- Heat the ghee, butter, or oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, leaving the marinade clinging to the pieces rather than wiping or shaking it off — but don't pour the leftover marinade in the bowl into the pan just yet.
- Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook for about 3 minutes, until it turns white all over. It won't really brown because of the yogurt-based marinade, and that's expected.
- Add the tomato passata, cream, sugar, and salt to the pan, along with any marinade left in the bowl. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Garnish with coriander leaves if using, and serve hot over basmati or white rice.
Chef's Note: Leaving the marinade clinging to the chicken instead of wiping it off is what builds so much of this dish's flavor — those spices go straight into the pan and become part of the sauce rather than getting discarded. The chicken won't brown in the traditional sense because of the yogurt coating, but that's exactly how this dish is meant to look; the flavor comes from the marinade and the long simmer, not a hard sear.
Marinating overnight makes a genuinely noticeable difference over the minimum 3-hour rest, so it's worth planning ahead if you can. For a lighter version, swap the full cup of heavy cream for 3/4 cup light cream plus 1/4 cup milk — the sauce will be a little less rich but still plenty creamy.
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