Butter chicken masala served with Pilaf
Level
moderate
Cooking
25 min
Preparation
60 min
Ingredients
Servings
3
| Chicken marinade | |
| Boneless and skinless chicken thigh | 400 g |
| Plain greek yoghurt | 2 tbsp |
| Chilli powder | 1 tsp |
| Paprika powder | 1 tsp |
| Garlic clove | 1 |
| Ginger, grated into ginger paste | 7 g |
| Salt | 1⁄4 tsp |
| Pilaf Rice | |
| Basmati rice | 220 g |
| Water | 375 ml |
| Frozen peas or mixed vegetable, optional | 80 g |
| Green chilli, cut into 4 | 20 g |
| Cumin seeds | 1 tsp |
| Cloves | 4 |
| Bay leaves | 2 |
| Cinnamon stick | 1 inch |
| Star anise | 1 |
| Oil | 1 tbsp |
| Salt | 1⁄2 tsp |
| Masala Gravy (To cook and blend) | |
| Oil | 1 tbsp |
| Unsalted butter | 15 g |
| Red onions, cut into wedges and halved | 100 g |
| Tomatoes, cut into wedges and halved | 500 g |
| Baked cashew nuts | 50 g |
| Garlic | 1 clove |
| Chilli powder | 1⁄2 tbsp |
| Paprika powder | 1 tbsp |
| Salt | 1⁄4 tsp |
| Water | 1⁄4 cup |
| Part 2 of Masala Gravy | |
| Unsalted butter | 45 g |
| Green cardamom | 4 |
| Bay leaf | 1 |
| Cinnamon stick | 1 |
| Cumin powder | 1⁄2 tsp |
| Honey | 2 tbsp |
| Emborg cooking cream | 3 tbsp |
How to cook
Step 1- Marinate the chicken
- In a large bowl, add in chicken, greek yogurt, red chilli powder, paprika powder, garlic paste, ginger paste, and salt.
- Mix well and cling wrap the bowl.
- Transfer to the chiller and allow it to marinate for at least 1 hour.
Step 2 – Cook the rice (Prepare the rice while the chicken is marinating)
- Wash and soak rice for at least 15 min. Drain the water and transfer rice into rice cooker. Add in 375ml water.
- In a pan, heat up oil.
- Add in all the spices (cumin, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise), green chilli and peas, sauté for 2 mins till fragrance releases.
- Pour all the ingredients in the pan into the rice cooker. Add in salt.
- Cook the rice on “white rice” mode.
Step 3 – Grill the chicken
- In a non-stick pan, heat up 2 tbsp oil. Grill the marinated chicken for 2mins on each side.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 4 – Cook and blend the Masala gravy
- In a clean pan, add in oil, butter and onion. Cook till the onion turns slightly brown.
- Add in tomatoes, cashew nuts, grated garlic and cook till it’s fragrant.
- Add chilli powder, paprika powder, salt and water. Mix it evenly, cook for 10 minutes till the tomato and onion have softened.
- Transfer into a large bowl. Use a hand blender or tabletop blender to blend the ingredients into a fine puree.
- Strain the gravy into another bowl.
Cooking part 2 of Masala Gravy
- In a clean frying pan, add the butter and the spices (green cardamom ,bay leaf and cinnamon stick) and saute for 10 seconds.
- Add the strained gravy, cumin powder and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add in the grilled chicken, honey and cooking cream into the gravy.
- Stir and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Garnish it with some cream(optional) and it with the Pilaf rice or ready-made Naan.
Recipe Hacks:
- 2 tbsp of honey can be replaced with 4 tbsp of white sugar. But honey is healthier and makes for a glossier-looking dish.
- Marinating the chicken with yoghurt is a great way to achieve a tender texture. The acid in the yoghurt will tenderise the meat and lock in the natural juices of the chicken.
- Basmati rice is a healthy grain that has high fibre content. It is of lower GI as compared to Jasmine rice too.
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