Take Away Style Butter Chicken

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This recipe for Butter Chicken is one of my favourites. This is a healthier and easier version of the popular Take Away dish. You can make a Vegetarian version by using Paneer or Potatoes. Enjoy!

Ingredients
800g chicken breast, cubed
50g salted butter
2 cinnamon sticks
4-5 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
2 garlic cloves, grated
1” fresh ginger, grated
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
4 tomatoes, blitzed to purée
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp double cream

For the Marinade
150g natural yoghurt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp oil of choice
2 garlic cloves, grated
1” fresh ginger, grated
juice of ½ lemon
pinch of saffron (optional)

Method
–  Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Cover this and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours minimum.

– Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C with a fan. Grease a baking sheet.

– Place the chicken on the baking sheet and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

– Add the butter to a hot pan. Add the cinnamon and cardamom pods. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds.

– Add the ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Cook for 1 minute.

– Add the blitzed tomato and tomato purĂ©e. Mix well, cover, and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.

– Add ½ cup water along with the salt, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and honey. Mix well.

– Add the cooked chicken and a splash of water if needed. Mix well, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

– Add the cream, stir through, and serve.

Enjoy with some chapati or piping hot rice. 

16 thoughts on “Take Away Style Butter Chicken”

  1. Hi Chetna,
    I made this today but my sauce had a bitter taste and I’m not sure why – any ideas?
    I used powdered Fenugreek (mehti), but it looks different to that which you used in the video. Could that be the problem?

    Reply
  2. Cooked this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING!!!! I have been looking for an authentic restaurant quality recipe and this is it!

    Thank you so much for sharing!

    Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes 🙂

    Reply
  3. Hi
    I have made a huge mistake, but it was still delicious. I misunderstood the fenugreek and I used fenchel seed XDXD. I have never heard of fenugreek before. I am not nativ english…
    Btw, do you use the leaves or the seeds of the fenugreek??
    Regards, Matyas

    Reply
  4. Fenugreek seeds come whole or ground and are a spice that should used in very small amounts or else it will make your dish very bitter. The leaves, on the other hand, are milder and more can be used. The dried leaves are call Kishoori Ki Mehti and can be purchased at Indian grocery stores.

    Reply
  5. I made it and it is divine – I made a lot. After each re-heating it got better and better. The second time around I made the tomato sauce at the same time I marinated the chicken – I left it overnight and let the flavours unfold. Great recipe! Thank you!!

    Reply
  6. Hi Chetna, love your Butter Chicken, which we made referring to your video. But unfortunately can’t find the recipe on your website! Am I looking in the wrong place, wonder if it’s possible to send a link. Many Thanks
    Terry.

    Reply
  7. Well Chetna, this was my second of your recipes which I made last evening! Excellent!
    The previous was the Chicken tikka masala. Both were excellent!!! I cannot say any more than that! My next will be the chicken Karahi for next weekend. I’m hooked!
    Thank you for the YouTube vids as well, it makes the process far easier than just written words.
    Keep them coming!

    Reply
  8. I was hoping to comment on the quick version in the new book, though this is fundamentally similar (if slower).

    I plan to cook the quick version tomorrow, but I notice that it specifies mustard oil. The only mustard oil that I can buy locally says ‘External use Only’ and there is plenty of mention online about how mustard oil is effectively illegal for food use in EU, USA and Canada.

    I’m fairly sure that there are recipes for home=made – perhaps that would be a good idea?

    Reply

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