Butter chicken and paratha is one of my daughter’s favorite meals. I make it for her every time she visits from college. Nothing says home like a mom’s cooking and she thoroughly enjoys it.
This butter chicken recipe is very creamy and flavorful. I start by seasoning and marinating the chicken. The chicken is then pan fried until a nice brown color is developed and simmered with the addition of spices, crushed tomatoes and heavy cream. Makes enough sauce to scoop up with the flaky paratha. It is certainly comfort food at its best.
In the accompanying video, I also demonstrate how to make the paratha using two methods for the same dough, so watch till the end. You will be amazed.
The list of ingredients seems endless but most of these spices are standard in an Indian or food lover’s kitchen. This is a great opportunity to use all those spices in your spice collection! If you don’t have these, now is the opportunity to add some spice to your pantry.
Make this for your family and they will love you for it.
Hope you enjoy this delicious combo as much as we do.
Butter chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken legs each cut into 2
- 8 cloves garlic grated, divided
- 1 oz grated ginger divided
- 1 tbs Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin roasted
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup yogurt 1 tbs lemon juice, Optional
- 2 tbs oil or ghee
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 tsp whole cumin
- 6 cardamom
- 6 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 black cardamom optional
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 extra large onion sliced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups chicken stock or water
- Optional – 1 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tbs garlic, 1 tbs ginger, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tbs tomato paste, chili powder, to taste
- 2 tsp kasori mehti
- 2 tbs ghee or butter, optional (for finishing)
- 1/2 cup cilantro , garnish
Instructions
- Cut and wash chicken with the juice of 1/2 lemon. Place garlic and ginger in a food processor and finely chop. Season chicken with ginger garlic paste, juice of 1/2 lemon, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, yogurt if using and salt. Marinate for a min of 30 min or overnight.
- When ready to cook, heat oil and butter in a wide sauté pan over high heat. Place chicken in a single layer and brown on both sides. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining seasoned chicken.
- Add more oil if needed, add spices(cumin seeds, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon), cook for 1 minute. Then add sliced onion to pot. Reduce heat to low and cook for 7 minutes until onion is brown and fragrant.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, turmeric, salt and any of the optional ingredients, sauce from seasoned chicken (if any) and cook for 20 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Return the chicken back to the pot along with heavy cream and mehti and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Stir in additional butter or ghee for finishing.
- Sprinkle on cilantro and serve hot with paratha or naan.
