Authentic Punjabi Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• For the marinade: ½ cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, juice of ½ lemon
• 3 tbsp butter, plus 1 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 4 large tomatoes, puréed (or 1 can crushed tomatoes)
• 10–12 cashews, soaked (for a richer sauce)
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (for color)
• 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), crushed
• ½ cup heavy cream, plus more to finish
• 1 tsp sugar, salt to taste

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (overnight is best).
2. Sear the marinated chicken in a hot pan with 1 tbsp butter until charred at the edges but not fully cooked. Set aside — this builds the smoky tandoori flavor.
3. In the same pan, melt 2 tbsp butter with the oil. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato purée, soaked cashews, chili powder, cumin and a little salt.
5. Simmer 12–15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil starts to separate. Cool slightly, then blend until completely smooth and return to the pan.
6. Add the seared chicken and ½ cup water; simmer 8–10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
7. Stir in the cream, garam masala, sugar and crushed kasoori methi. Simmer 2–3 more minutes and adjust salt.
8. Finish with a swirl of cream and a little butter. Serve hot with garlic naan or basmati rice.

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