Indian Butter Chicken

This dish is insanely delicious. I LOVED it!! It’s no wonder it made it onto “The 20 Most Popular Recipes of 2014” list in the New York Times. It is so flavorful and amazing that it deserves to be served to my foodie friends at the First Fiesta Friday Anniversary Party at The Novice Gardener!! (Part 2) (Such a big fiesta needs to be celebrated over 2 weeks!) Woo hoo! 🙂

I served this luxuriously saucy chicken over brown Basmati rice with roasted broccoli on the side; we ate the leftovers with sautéed spinach on the side. There was enough sauce to douse the veggies too- fabulous!! This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Sam Sifton, adapted from Amandeep of Attica in Melbourne, Australia. I adapted the recipe by using boneless skinless chicken thighs. Dinner party worthy!

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus marinating overnight

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

• 1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• ¼ pound unsalted butter
• 4 teaspoons neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil
• 2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely diced
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 medium-size tomatoes, diced
• 2 red chiles, like Anaheim, or 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• Kosher salt, to taste
• ⅔ cup chicken stock
• 1 ½ cups cream
• 1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons ground almonds, or finely chopped almonds
• ½ bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed
• brown Basmati rice, for serving

1. Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala and cumin in a large bowl. Put the chicken in, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and refrigerate (for up to a day).
2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil until it starts to foam. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent.
3. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds, and cook until the onions start to brown.
4. Add the cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chiles and salt, and cook until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and marinade to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes.
6. Stir in the cream and tomato paste, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Add the almonds, cook for an additional 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Garnish with the cilantro leaves.

One Year Ago:

• Indian-Spiced Chicken Stew

Two Years Ago:

• Chicken in Tomatoes
• Chicken and Kale Casserole

Other NY Times Top 2014 Dishes on thebrookcook:

• Rigatoni & Cauliflower Al Forno
• Pasta Alla Norma with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
• Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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