When it comes to butter chicken, it’s all about the sauce – a sweet, mild, cream-of-tomato-y sauce that begs to be scooped up with chewy naan, which you can make at home in a hot skillet in the absence of a tandoor.
It’s so sauce-focused, it doesn’t have to contain chicken at all – you could use browned meat (or veggie) balls, chickpeas or paneer, stirring the latter two into the sauce once it’s done. The sauce itself is also divine ladled over fries and cheese curds for butter chicken poutine, or scooped up with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce or purée gives it that classic smooth texture, but there’s no reason you can’t use canned whole or diced tomatoes, or fresh ones, whizzed with a hand-held immersion blender. Cream with a higher fat content, such as whipping cream or full-fat sour cream, will prevent it from splitting with the acidity of the tomatoes and the heat of the stovetop. Butter chicken traditionally isn’t spicy, but if you want to give it some kick, add a chopped jalapeno or a pinch of cayenne.
Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Butter Chicken
If you like, simmer the sauce on its own – it makes it easier to remove any larger spices with a slotted spoon – and cook the chicken separately (or use leftover roasted chicken) to stir in once it’s done. If the sauce seems too acidic, add a pinch of baking soda. If you like it sweeter, add a spoonful of sugar or honey.
Chicken:
- 1-2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (preferably full-fat)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
Sauce:
- 1 medium onion, grated or finely chopped (optional)
- Ghee or butter or vegetable oil, for cooking
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp cumin powder or seeds
- 4-5 green cardamom pods (optional)
- 2 tsp methi (fenugreek) leaves (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups (approximately) or a 14 oz (398 ml) can tomatoes, in any form (you will want to purée them, so it’s easier to start with crushed tomatoes or passata)
- 1 tsp garam masala (or to taste) and/or 1 cinnamon stick
- Salt, to taste
- 1 cup whipping cream, full-fat sour cream or coconut milk (or to taste)
Combine the chicken with the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, turmeric and garam masala and refrigerate for up to a day.
When you’re ready to cook, set a large skillet or shallow pot over medium-high heat, add a spoonful of ghee or butter and/or a drizzle of oil and if you’re using them, sauté the onion for four to five minutes, until starting to turn golden. Add the ginger, cumin, cardamom and methi and cook for a couple minutes, until it starts to sizzle.
These roasted potatoes come with a satisfying crunch
Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes, until it turns opaque and starts to brown on the edges. (It doesn’t need to cook completely through.) If you have a can of whole or diced tomatoes, open it and purée partly or completely with a hand-held immersion blender right in the can. Add them along with about half as much water, the garam masala or cinnamon stick and a big pinch of salt and bring to a simmer.
Cook for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, then remove any large spices with a slotted spoon, stir in the cream and heat through, adding salt if needed. Serve with rice and/or naan.
Serves about four.
Garlic Butter Naan
This dough can hang out in the fridge for up to a few days, so you can pull off pieces and cook them as needed.
Dough:
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tsp active dry or instant yeast
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp canola or other mild vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking (or ghee)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter or ghee (plus extra for cooking, if you like)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
Pour the water into a large bowl and sprinkle over the yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve, then add the flour, a drizzle of oil (feel free to eyeball it) and salt and stir until the dough comes together, then knead using the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer, or by hand on the countertop until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let it rest for a couple to several hours.
When you’re ready to cook, pull off egg-sized pieces of dough and roll as thin as you can on an unfloured countertop. Set a heavy (cast iron is ideal) skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil or chunk of ghee. Cook each naan until big bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and turn until golden on the other side. Melt the butter with the garlic and brush over the naan while it’s still warm.
Makes about eight.
