You simply can’t get this dish’s depth of flavours using a store bought Butter Chicken paste or simmer sauce. The result is the most succulent chicken in a creamy, nutty, tomato based sauce.

I won’t lie to you though. This is one of the trickier recipes on the blog.

Notes:

• I hope to char grill the chicken better next time but oh my it was amazing anyway. I think I might hit them with a chef’s torch for a bit.
• I also didn’t sprinkle it with Rick’s Chat masala at serving and want to do that next time.

Steps

1. Marinating the chicken in marinade 1 for one hour
2. Marinating the chicken in marinade 2 for four hours
3. Charring the chicken pieces
4. Making the sauce
5. Serving

Ingredients

• 4 large chicken breasts, skinned and deboned
• Marinade 1
  • The juice of 2 limes
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tsp table salt
• Marinade 2
  • 50g plain yoghurt
  • 50g double cream
  • 4 garlic cloves, diced
  • 5cm ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp beetroot powder (for color)
• The sauce
  • 50g ghee
  • 5 garlic cloves, diced
  • 5cm ginger, diced
  • 400g tomato passata
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp dessicated coconut
  • 1.5 tsp table salt
  • 200ml water
  • 25g cashew nuts
  • 25g pumpkin seeds
  • 2 Tbsp boiling water
  • 1 Tbsp fenugreek leaves
  • 1/2 tsp caster sugar
  • 45ml double cream

Equipment

• 1 chef’s knife
• 1 chopping board
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 bowl or dish for marinading
• 1 wet mixer/blender (used twice so you will need to clean it)
• 1 large heavy based saucepan
• Several skewers

Marinating the chicken in marinade 1 for one hour

1. Cut each breast into 3 pieces.
2. In a large bowl mix the:
   • Two limes worth of juice
   • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
   • 1 tsp table salt.
3. Put the chicken pieces in the marinade and mix to coat.
4. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 1 hour.

Marinating the chicken in marinade 2 for four hours

1. In your wet mixer/food processor add the:
   • 50g plain yoghurt
   • 50g double cream
   • 4 garlic cloves, diced
   • 5cm ginger, roughly chopped
   • 1 tsp Garam masala
   • 1 tsp ground turmeric
   • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
   • 1/2 tsp beetroot powder (for color).
2. Blend until smooth and add to the chicken making sure every knook and cranny is coated.
3. Marinate for 4 hours in the fridge.

Charring the chicken pieces

1. Preheat your fan forced oven to 240C.
2. Thread the chicken pieces on either oiled metal skewers or pre-soaked (in water to stop them burning) wooden ones.
3. Roast for 15-20 minutes aiming for slightly charred but not cooked fully through just yet.
4. Start the next step while the chicken is roasting.

Making the sauce

1. Grind, dice and chop the sauces ingredients.
2. Heat the 50g ghee in the saucepan over a medium heat.
3. Add the 5 diced garlic cloves and diced ginger and fry for a minute.
4. Stir in the 400g tomato passata and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the:
   • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
   • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
   • 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
   • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
   • 1/2 tsp Garam masala
   • 1 tsp dessicated coconut
   • 1.5 tsp table salt
   • half of the 200ml water
6. Simmer for another 10 minutes while you do the next step.
7. In your wet mixer/food processor blend into a paste the:
   • 25g cashew nuts
   • 25g pumpkin seeds
   • 2 Tbsp boiling water
8. Stir the paste into the passata sauce and the rest of the water.
9. Add the chicken to the sauce and gently mix everything.
10. Simmer for 10 minutes and then stir in the:
    • 1 Tbsp fenugreek leaves
    • 1/2 tsp caster sugar
    • 45ml double cream

Serving

I served this dish over a bed of basmati rice with some steamed vegetables and a plate of pappadums to share.

Spoon the chicken pieces onto the rice using a slotted spoon and then add as much sauce as the person likes.

Rick Stein says to garnish with some torn fresh coriander leaves, shredded ginger and a sprinkle of chat masala.

Enjoy,

PK

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