The perfect Butter Chicken Masala

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 400 g chicken
• 200 ml Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp chili powder (Red Kashmir chili powder)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• possibly cardamom pod(s)
• ½ handful of cashews
• 125 g butter, cold
• 4 carnations
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 cm ginger
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
• 2 small onions
• 500 g tomatoes, pureed
• 2 bay leaves, Indian
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp, heaped fenugreek leaves, dried
• 4 tbsp cream
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours

authentic Indian

It’s best to start preparing at least three hours in advance, preferably the night before. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, garam masala, and lime juice. If you like, you can also crush a few cardamom pods. Remove the skin and crush the seeds. Add enough yogurt to coat the meat completely on all sides. Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate. Add 1/4 to 1/2 more spices to taste, especially if they’ve been sitting for a while, as they lose their flavor over time. Place a small handful of cashews in a bowl and completely cover with water and refrigerate. Briefly sear the chicken and quickly remove it from the pan. The meat will cook through in the sauce later. Do not change or rinse the pans. The roasted flavors of the meat and the marinade should definitely be incorporated into the sauce later! For the sauce, add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and briefly fry the cardamom pods and cloves. Tick the cardamom pods so the seeds can escape during cooking. Add the onion and fry until translucent. Briefly fry the ground coriander seeds, garam masala, and ginger. Deglaze everything with the passata. Allow to reduce slightly, then add the remaining butter. Stir in a generous pinch of sugar, crushed cashews, and bay leaves and simmer for a few minutes until the fat separates from the sauce (this is intentional!). Add the meat to the sauce and cook thoroughly. The marinade keeps the meat soft and juicy. Add turmeric and a little pepper and salt. If you prefer a stronger flavor, you can add more seasoning at this point. If the sauce isn’t quite enough, you can also add some of the passata. Just before serving, stir in the cream and dried fenugreek leaves. Serve with rice and naan bread.