Stop Ordering Out! The Secret to Making Authentic, Better-Than-Takeout Butter Chicken at Home

The world can boast of hundreds of different cuisines, some dishes of which made it to the list of favorites outside their home country. One of the specialties of Indian cuisine is the now worldwide famous butter chicken filled with tender tomato and butter sauce.

The meal has soon become some kind of comfort food that can be cooked in any kitchen, so save the recipe for the next time you decide to make something different for a family dinner.

Here’s what you need (for 4 portions): 700 g of chicken thigh fillets, 3 cloves of fresh garlic, 150 g of onion, 1 can of chopped canned tomatoes, 20 g of cashews, 3 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp of hot ground chili, 1.5–2 tsp of salt, whole coriander seeds, 2 tbsp of smoked paprika, 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, 60 g of butter, 100 ml of 30% heavy cream, 50 ml of water, spiced rice for serving.

Cut the chicken thighs into cubes. Season with salt, then add 1/2 teaspoon of ground chili pepper, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and 1.5 teaspoons of garam masala. Leave to marinate for 2 hours.

Heat a skillet with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, add the chicken, and fry until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Finely chop the onion and slice the garlic. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and add the onion and garlic to the pan used to fry the chicken. Add the coriander, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of ground chili pepper, and 1.5 teaspoons of garam masala. Stir and cook for 5–10 minutes.

Add the butter and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the can of tomatoes, stir, and add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt if needed. Simmer everything together for 10 minutes.

Put the tomatoes, onions, and spices into a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve.

Put the chicken and the sauce back into the pan, stir, and heat everything together for a few minutes.

Add the cream and water, and heat everything together.

Serve with spiced rice, sprinkled with cashews.