Butter Chicken is a simple, classic recipe that everyone loves! Perfect for entertaining or when you want to enjoy beautiful traditional Indian flavours from the comfort of your home.
You'll Never Need to Order Out Again - This Butter Chicken Recipe Rocks!
Butter Chicken is one of those dishes that comforts, satisfies and tastes delicious! While many people think it is complicated or " restaurant food", it's actually easy to make at home and perfect when you have a hungry crowd to feed.
My recipe comes together with some secret ingredients so you get all the flavour without the extra step of grilling the chicken in a tandoor - black cumin seeds (aka nigella seeds or kalonji). These are easily found in your Indian grocery store and are a wonderful addition to add to your dishes and breads. I love them on my Butter Naan or cheese toast too - totally yum.)
You can also get that added "tandoor smokiness" without a tandoor, thanks to a great little product that instantly adds natural smokiness - a magical liquid called All-Natural Hickory Liquid Smoke. Just be aware that a little goes a long way, and it will last you ages! I've listed a couple of online links that sell it below:
Butter Chicken Wholesome Goodness!
If you think Butter Chicken is a rich and heavy dish you are in for a nice surprise!
This recipe is packed with goodness - tomatoes make up the base of this gravy, which is rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that has many health benefits including protection against sunburns, certain types of cancers and is especially good for men's health, while garlic and ginger are prized for their anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
The beautiful Indian spices in this recipe are well known for their many health-promoting properties, the chicken is a wonderful protein source and yogurt is great for gut health. You might also find it interesting to know that in Ayurvedic medicine ghee is considered a highly nourishing food for the body - so in many ways, there is a lot to enjoy both in terms of taste and nutrition.
MY TIPS
For best results the chicken should marinate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight stored in an airtight container in your fridge
The black cumin seeds (aka kalonji or black nigella seeds) and fenugreek add a beautiful dimension of flavour - you can get both of these at any Indian grocery store or order them online.
This recipe reheats very well and makes a great make-ahead dish if planning a party menu
You can use normal chilli powder if you don't have Kashmiri chilli powder
If you can't find tomato passata generally found at most grocery stores - simply liquify/puree fresh tomatoes in your food processor until smooth
Now prepare to make the easiest, tastiest butter chicken you have ever eaten at home!
