Adam Liaw's butter chicken

Ingredients

• 1 brown onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 cm x 2 cm piece ginger, peeled
• 30 g butter, unsalted
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 3 green cardamom pods, bruised
• 2 cups (500 ml) tomato passata
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp sugar
• 1 cup (250 ml) thickened cream
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp crushed, dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• Coriander leaves, to garnish
• Cooked basmati rice, to serve
• Indian lime pickle, to serve (optional)

For the chicken marinade

• 800 g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup thick yoghurt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

1. For the chicken marinade, in a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients, then cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, heat a barbecue or chargrill pan over high heat. Grill the chicken for 3 minutes per side, or until charred. The chicken doesn’t need to be completely cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. In a small food processor bowl, combine the onion, garlic and ginger, then process to a smooth purée. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom pods. Toast, stirring, for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
3. Add the puréed onion mixture to the pan and cook, stirring, for 6-8 minutes, until fragrant and dry, but not browned. Stir through the tomato passata, cover and simmer for 8 minutes. Season with the salt and sugar to taste, then stir through the thickened cream and simmer for a further 4 minutes. Cut the chicken into 3 cm chunks and stir through the sauce mixture. Simmer for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir through the garam masala and fenugreek leaves.
4. To serve, taste the butter chicken and season to taste with salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with coriander leaves. Serve with rice or Indian breads and lime pickle on the side, if you like!

Note

• For the second dish

To make butter chicken biryani, layer cooked rice, lots of fried onions (cooked in ghee until crisp and well-browned), chicken and butter chicken sauce, dollops of yoghurt, black pepper and chopped coriander.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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