Butter chicken has always been one of my favourite dishes growing up - shout out to the Indian restaurant conveniently located right below my building in Macau! I've tried quite a few recipes over the years to recreate that same comforting, restaurant-style flavour and this iteration has been my favourite so far. I And because butter chicken without naan just feels illegal, I had to make a super easy cheat garlic naan to go alongside it. No yeast, no waiting around for dough to rise, just mix, roll and cook.
4 servings
Some secret knowledge
The butter chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
The naan is best eaten fresh but can be stored for up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry pan or air fryer until warmed through.
The butter chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
The naan is best eaten fresh but can be stored for up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry pan or air fryer until warmed through.
Add the chicken thighs, yoghurt, lemon juice, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder, salt, black pepper, garlic paste and ginger paste to a large bowl.
Mix well until every piece of chicken is coated.
Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours, although overnight is even better if you have the time.
Heat a little oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until they're browned on the outside and around halfway cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Don't worry about cooking it all the way through yet, it'll finish cooking in the curry later.
In the same pan, add the ghee.
Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add the diced onion and cook over medium heat until softened and translucent.
Add the cashews, garlic paste and ginger paste.
Cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
Add the cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder and Kashmiri chilli powder. Stir everything together and cook for around 30 seconds to wake up the spices.
Add the tomato paste and mix well.
Add the canned tomatoes and stir everything together.
Cover and cook over medium-low heat for around 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture has reduced and become rich and concentrated.
Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
Transfer the curry base to a blender and blend until completely smooth, adding around ¼–½ cup water to loosen it to your desired consistency.
Be careful when blending hot liquids, allow some steam to escape and don't overfill your blender or let it cool slightly before blending. Another option is to use a hand blender and blend directly in the pan.
Return the blended sauce to the pan, adding another splash of water through the blender to get all those delicious bits out.
Add the double cream, salt, sugar and kasoori methi.
Stir well, then return the partially cooked chicken to the sauce.
Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is completely cooked through.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add more cream if you want it richer, more Kashmiri chilli for heat or a little extra sugar if the tomatoes are particularly acidic.
While the curry cooks, add the flour, baking powder, salt, oil and yoghurt to a bowl.
Mix until a dough forms, then knead for around 8 minutes, until smooth.
Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Divide into portions and roll each piece out into a thin oval or round.
Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat and cook each naan for around 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown with little charred spots.
Mix the melted butter, minced garlic, salt and chopped coriander together.
Brush the garlic butter generously over the hot naans.
Spoon the butter chicken over warm basmati rice, or serve it alongside your freshly made garlic naan.
Finish with a little extra coriander and another drizzle of cream or melted butter.
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