Butter chicken is no doubt the most famous curry around the world. And it even sort of represents Indian food.
When it comes to butter chicken you will find hundreds of recipes claiming to be the authentic butter chicken. Some have even gone far to make it healthier.
But the real and authentic way of butter chicken has been always the same.
Charcoal smoked chicken thighs with a creamy buttery tomato gravy. There is nothing healthy about butter chicken but everything that’s divine makes a good butter chicken.
Now since most of us can’t arrange a tandoor or a charcoal grill at home. So to recreate the same taste I have grilled the chicken at home in an oven and smoked with charcoal later. And it certainly does the trick. And for vegetarian version of smoking paneer I did a paneer angara recipes that was bomb. A must try.
More chicken recipes tha I recommend trying – chicken sukka, kashmiri Chicken curry, murgha kali mirch, goan chicken cafreal
Ok so back to butter chicken; you need a lot of tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. And yes if you’d like add the red color but honestly I am ok with no artificial color but absolutely amazing tasting curry.
So who’s ready to make some butter chicken!
Directions to make Authentic Butter Chicken-
Ingredients-
To Marinade-
500 gm chicken thighs
1/4 cup hung curd or greek yogurt
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
Salt as per taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
For the gravy/sauce-
2 tbsp oil
4-5 tbsp butter
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 cup cashews soaked in water
1 kg tomatoes
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp degi mirch, kashmiri chilli powder (or any that has more color than heat)
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 cup or more cream
2-3 tbsp sugar or as per your taste
2 tbsp crushed kasturi methi(dry fenugreek leaves)
1 small piece of charcoal
Method-
In a steel bowl add chicken. Make sure its patted dry before marinating. Now poke it thoroughly with fork.
Now add all the spices and curd under for marination. Mix and keep aside for at least 4 hours or overnight if you can.
To blanch the tomatoes poke then once with knife and boil them for 5 mins in boiling water.
Once done strain them and wait for tomatoes to cool down so that they are easier to handle.
Now peel the tomatoes and blend them in puree. Now strain and remove the pulp. Keep aside till ready to cook the sauce.
Also make a paste of cashews and keep aside.
Once you are ready to grill the chicken take it out of refrigerating at least 3 mins before.
Preheat your oven at 200°C for 10 mins on grill mode.
Now in the middle rack place the skewered chicken and.cook for 30 min. You can rotate after 15 mins if you want even chatting of chicken.
Now place the grill chicken in a bowl. Heat some charcoal over open flame.
Once its red place in a small steel bowl and put in the chicken bowl. Add few drops of ghee or butter and cover the bowl.
Let it smoke for 30 min and the chicken is ready.
Now for the sauce heat the oil and butter in a pan.
Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 1 min.
Add the spices. Make sure the heat is on low. If the spices burn add 1 -2 tbsp water with it.
Roasting spices give flavor.
Add the tomato puree. Cook the puree till it boil and is the right consistency. Also add the sugar. Make sure to taste and only if you need add more.
I like to cook the puree with spices for 10 mins partially covered to develop flavor.
Now add the cashew paste and fresh cream. Mix.
Add the smoked chicken thighs and top with kasturi methi(optional for flavor).
Enjoy your curry with roti or naan.
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