Meals · Delhi

Old Delhi Butter Chicken

Tandoori-style chicken simmered in a silky tomato, butter and cream gravy, finished with kasuri methi.

Prep 20 min · Cook 35 min · Total 55 min + 1 hr marinade · Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken

• 700 g Boneless chicken thighs, in large pieces
• ½ cup Thick yogurt
• 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Salt

Makhani gravy

• 4 tbsp Butter
• 6 Ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 12 Cashews
• 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Sugar or honey
• ½ cup Fresh cream
• 1 tsp Kasuri methi, crushed
• 1 tsp Salt

Method

1. Marinate. Coat the chicken in the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilli, garam masala, lemon and salt. Chill for an hour.
2. Char the chicken. Grill, air-fry or sear the chicken in a very hot pan until charred at the edges and just cooked. Set aside.
3. Cook the tomatoes. Simmer the tomatoes and cashews with half a cup of water until completely soft. Blend smooth and strain for a silky gravy.
4. Build the gravy. Melt the butter, fry the ginger-garlic paste for a minute, add the chilli, then the tomato purée, sugar and salt. Simmer until it coats a spoon.
5. Finish. Add the chicken and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and crushed kasuri methi, and top with a knob of butter. Serve with naan or jeera rice.