Butter chicken was a gateway curry for our kids. This recipe is our best attempt at the warm, delicious curries from our local takeout shops.
Mechanic
This is a BIR-style (British Indian Restaurant) butter chicken, built on a pre-made base curry gravy rather than starting from scratch. The gravy does the heavy lifting; this recipe adds the butter, cream, and finishing flavours that make it distinctly butter chicken.
Ingredients
- 500 ml Base curry gravy
- 4 tablespoons almond powder
- 4 tablespoons yogurt or cream
- 2 tablespoons oil (onion oil preferred)
- 40 g butter, plus more to finish
- 1 teaspoon Ginger/garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
- Sugar, to taste
- 2 teaspoons methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 500 g chicken thigh or breast, diced and precooked
To finish
- Salt, to taste
- Butter
- Toasted nuts
- Fresh coriander leaves
Method
Heat oil and butter in a large pan over medium. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the garam masala and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste if using and stir in.
Add the almond powder and a little sugar, and stir until combined and fragrant, 1–2 minutes.
Add the diced precooked chicken and stir to coat in the spice mixture.
Pour in the base curry gravy and stir to combine. Bring to a bare simmer.
Turn off the heat. Temper the yogurt or cream by stirring a few spoonfuls of the hot sauce into it, then stir it into the pan until smooth. Warm gently over low heat until heated through; don’t let it boil, or the yogurt may curdle.
Finish with butter, salt, and methi. Taste and adjust.
To serve
With basmati rice or naan. Top with toasted nuts and fresh coriander.