“This is the best butter chicken you ever made” my son screamed, as he ate it licking his fingers. I knew what he meant when I tasted it myself. This time it tasted different from what I usually make. Yes, it was the smoky flavour I infused into it with a burning coal and also the earthenware dish that I baked the chicken in that did all the magic. The earthy smoky flavour was sensational and so delicious! We just loved it and ate it all.
This is actually a quick and easy version of the traditional butter chicken which can also be made by marinating for just 1/2 an hour and is still be flavourful. By using chicken breast pieces and tweaking the technique a little bit you can breeze through this recipe in no time.
For a non spicy version you could omit the red chilli powder and the green chillies in the gravy. it still tastes delicious without the heat from the chillies. And to make a smooth butter chicken gravy/sauce you could blend all the gravy ingredients after cooking them and then pass the sauce through a strainer. This makes the sauce smooth and fine.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
2lb chicken breasts
For the tandoori marinade:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 tsp desi tandoori masala powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt – to taste
2 tbs olive/vegetable oil
For the butter gravy:
1 x 1″ cinnamon stick
4 cloves
4 green cardamoms
2 black cardamoms
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
10 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaf
1 medium sized onion (1/2 cup finely chopped)
3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (1 cup deseeded and finely chopped)
2 green chillies deseeded
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 a cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
Clean wash the chicken breasts, drain, towel dry and cut into medium size cubes. Rub them with salt and lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile whisk the greek yoghurt, add all the masalas for the marinade then vegetable oil and mix well together so there are no lumps. Taste and adjust the salt. (The tandoori masala powder already has salt in it so taste before adding any salt.
Marinate the chicken with the prepared tandoori masala for 1/2 an hour or up to 4 hours. Place the marinated chicken in a baking dish then bake in the centre of the oven, preheated at 350°F for 15 – 20 min or until they are just cooked. Do not over cook them as they would harden and become dry.
Alternatively you could either bbq the chicken pieces or even skewer and grill them under the broiler for 4-6 minutes on each side.
Switch off the oven. Light a piece of charcoal and place it in a tin foil cup (shape the tin foil like a small cup to hold the burning coal). Place the tinfoil cup on top of the chicken pieces in the centre of the baking dish. Drop a small blob of ghee (clarified butter) on the burning coal. When it smokes, cover the baking dish with a lid and leave it in the oven for 5 minutes. Then remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt half the butter with the olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, chopped tomatoes and sauté them in the butter till the onions are translucent and the tomatoes soften a bit. Remove from the pan, make a purée and set aside.
Now add more butter to the same pan and throw in the whole spices (cloves, green & black cardamoms, bay leaf, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, whole black pepper corn) followed by ginger juliennes and split green chillies (optional). Now add the onion tomato purée (from the previous step) to the pan, sauté well with the whole spices for 2 minutes. Now add 2 heaped tsp tomato paste and continue to sauté. Add half a cup of water and mix well to form a butter gravy.
Remove the burning coal and transfer the roasted smoke flavoured chicken to the saucepan with all its juices. Let it simmer on the stove top for sometime.
Drizzle the whipping cream generously into the chicken gravy after keeping aside 1 or 2 tbs for garnish.
Simmer for 5 mins or till the gravy thickens a bit. Then as a final step, crush the kasoori methi in between the palms of your hands (keep it in the centre of your left palm and crush it with the heel of your right palm ) so as to release the aroma then dust it into the butter chicken gravy.
Notes:
1. To make the chicken more flavourful, skewer the chicken pieces and grill them under the broiler in the oven for 6 minutes on each side. Do not over grill as it will lose all its juicy texture. Remove as soon as you see brown spots appearing on the chicken. The best method is of course using the barbecued chicken pieces in the butter gravy which gives the smoky flavour.
2. An unglazed earthenware dish infuses an earthy flavour which is very appealing to the taste. If you do not have one, a regular one is fine.
3. If you want a very smooth gravy do not forget to remove the whole spices (black and green cardamoms and cinnamon stick) before blending it.
You may also like:
Delicious Smoked Butter Chicken
Equipment
- Equipment: Baking pan, wooden or metal skewers
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 lb chicken breasts
For the tandoori marinade:
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 2 tsp desi tandoori masala powder
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- salt - to taste
- 2 tbs Olive/vegetable oil
For the butter gravy
- 1 x 1" cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 4 green cardamoms
- 2 black cardamoms
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 medium sized onion 1/2 cup finely chopped
- 3 medium sized fresh tomatoes 1 cup deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 green chillies deseeded
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 a cup whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp kasoori methi dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Instructions:
- Clean wash the chicken breasts, drain, towel dry and cut into medium size cubes. Rub them with salt and lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile whisk the greek yoghurt, add all the masalas for the marinade then vegetable oil and mix well together so there are no lumps. Taste and adjust the salt. (The tandoori masala powder already has salt in it so taste before adding any salt.
- Marinate the chicken with the prepared tandoori masala for 1/2 an hour or up to 4 hours. Place the marinated chicken in a baking dish then bake in the centre of the oven, preheated at 350°F for 15 - 20 min or until they are just cooked. Do not over cook them as they would harden and become dry. Alternatively you could either bbq the chicken pieces or even skewer and grill them under the broiler for 4-6 minutes on each side.
- Switch off the oven. Light a piece of charcoal and place it in a tin foil cup (shape the tin foil like a small cup to hold the burning coal). Place the tinfoil cup on top of the chicken pieces in the centre of the baking dish. Drop a small blob of ghee (clarified butter) on the burning coal. When it smokes, cover the baking dish with a lid and leave it in the oven for 5 minutes. Then remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt half the butter with the olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, chopped tomatoes and sauté them in the butter till the onions are translucent and the tomatoes soften a bit. Remove from the pan, make a purée and set aside.
- Now add more butter to the same pan and throw in the whole spices (cloves, green & black cardamoms, bay leaf, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, whole black pepper corn) followed by ginger juliennes and split green chillies (optional). Now add the onion tomato purée (from the previous step) to the pan, sauté well with the whole spices for 2 minutes. Now add 2 heaped tsp tomato paste and continue to sauté. Add half a cup of water and mix well to form a butter gravy.
- Remove the burning coal and transfer the roasted smoke flavoured chicken to the saucepan with all its juices. Let it simmer on the stove top for sometime.
- Drizzle the whipping cream generously into the chicken gravy after keeping aside 1 or 2 tbs for garnish.
- Simmer for 5 mins or till the gravy thickens a bit. Then as a final step, crush the kasoori methi in between the palms of your hands (keep it in the centre of your left palm and crush it with the heel of your right palm ) so as to release the aroma then dust it into the butter chicken gravy.
- Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle more whipping cream on top. Serve hot with fresh baked naan, tandoori roti or saffron rice. Enjoy!
Oooh, this sounds fantastic!
Thank you. It is a delicious dish, I am sure you’d love it.
Could you please specify what makes “desi tandoori masala powder”? I probably have the spices to make garam masala, but I don’t know what I can substitute the tandoori masala powder with. I would love to try your butter chicken recipe. (We love butter chicken at our house!)
Hi Cynthia,
Please check my other butter chicken recipe: https://mamasecretrecipes.ca/butter-chicken-my-style/ which has the home made tandoori masala recipe as a substitute for the store bought one. If you have any more questions please give me a shout. I’ll be more than happy to help you. thanks so much. Happy cooking! Do let me know how it turned out.
We love butter chicken but I’ve actually never made it from scratch. It’s a restaurant item, or else I use a sauce from a jar. (A very good one, but nonetheless a jar). Now I need to remedy that, seeing this recipe. I am saving it to try this. Thank you!
Yes, Butter chicken is such a dish that can make you fall in love with it. And home made I would say is the best. Recently my son in Vancouver made it from scratch following my instructions on a video call and enjoyed it with his friends. I am sure you’d love it too. Do let me know how it turns out. Thanks for your kind comments.
Oh wow! This looks like the most amazing comfort food and sounds so delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe!!
Thank you Kelly. It is a delicious dish which my family, friends and relatives all love so much and it gives me pleasure to share something I love. Have a nice day.
I really love the depth of this recipe. Nothing compares to using all the spices and making it from scratch. This smoked version is a delicious take on the usual. Thanks!
Thank you Sabrina. Yes nothing compares to making from scratch. And smoking it enhances it and adds up to the flavour even more.