Butter chicken (murgh makhani)

Ingredients

• 750 g chicken on the bone or boneless thighs
• Marinade: ½ cup thick curd, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp oil, salt
• Sauce: 6 ripe tomatoes (chopped), 4 tbsp butter, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 2 green chillies, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 10 cashews (soaked), ½ tsp garam masala, 1 tsp sugar or honey, ½ cup fresh cream, 1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed), salt

Method

1. Mix the chicken with the marinade and leave for at least 4 hours.
2. Roast the chicken in a tandoor, or in an oven at 220 °C for 20–25 minutes, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
3. For the sauce, cook the tomatoes with the cashews, green chillies and ½ cup water until soft. Blend and strain into a smooth purée.
4. Melt 2 tbsp butter, add ginger-garlic paste and chilli powder, then the purée and salt. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until thick.
5. Add the roasted chicken, garam masala and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the cream, kasuri methi and remaining butter. Serve with naan or rice.