The Curry Guy’s butter chicken recipe

“Butter chicken is usually made with grilled tandoori chicken, and the creamy yogurt marinade is mixed with cream to make the sauce,” says Dan Toombs, otherwise known as the Curry Guy.

“This version is quite a lot easier but you still get a very good, if perhaps less authentic, butter chicken.”

For this recipe, you can make your own spice blends and pastes, or use store bought if that’s easier.

The Curry Guy’s butter chicken

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

1kg chicken thighs, skinned and cut into small pieces

For the marinade:
Juice of 1 large lemon
2tbsp rapeseed oil
1 level tsp sea salt
1tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
½tsp ground turmeric
1 generous tsp tandoori masala

For the sauce:
15 raw cashews, soaked in water for 15 minutes
250ml passata
2tbsp ghee or rapeseed oil
2 medium red onions, blended with 2tbsp water if needed
2tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
½tsp sugar, or to taste
100g butter
200ml double cream, whisked
1tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
½tsp garam masala
Sea salt, to taste

For the garam masala (makes 170g):
6tbsp coriander seeds
6tbsp cumin seeds
5tsp black peppercorns
4tbsp fennel seeds
3tsp cloves
7.5cm real cinnamon stick
5 dried Indian bay leaves
20 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised
2 large pieces of mace

For the tandoori masala (makes 120g):
3tbsp coriander seeds
3tbsp cumin seeds
1tbsp black mustard seeds
5cm real cinnamon stick
Small piece of mace
3 dried Indian bay leaves
1tbsp ground ginger
2tbsp garlic powder
2tbsp dried onion powder
2tbsp amchoor
1tbsp (or more) red food colouring powder (optional)

For the garlic and ginger paste (makes about 250g):
150g garlic, roughly chopped
150g root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

Method

1. For the garam masala: Roast all the spices in a dry frying pan over a medium–high heat until warm to the touch and fragrant, moving them around in the pan as they roast and being careful not to burn them. If they begin to smoke, take them off the heat immediately. Tip the warm spices onto a plate and leave to cool, then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and use within two months for optimal flavour.

2. For the tandoori masala: Roast the whole spices in a dry frying pan over a medium–high heat until warm to the touch and fragrant, moving them around in the pan as they roast and being careful not to burn them. If they begin to smoke, take them off the heat. Tip onto a plate to cool. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, then tip into a bowl. Stir in the ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder and amchoor. Stir in the red food colouring powder (if using). The masala will not look overly red like the commercial brands. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and use as required, within two months for optimal flavour.

3. For the garlic and ginger paste: Place the garlic and ginger in a food processor or pestle and mortar and blend with just enough water to make a smooth paste. Some chefs finely chop their garlic and ginger instead, which is a good alternative to making a paste. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days and use as needed. If you’re planning a curry party, go ahead and get this job ticked off early. The paste can turn a bit blue or green while in the fridge. This is natural and it is not off. I often make larger batches and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen, the cubes can be transferred to airtight plastic bags in the freezer, ready for when you get that curry craving. Be sure to let them defrost a little first.

4. For the butter chicken: Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

5. Add the chicken pieces and stir them in to coat. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to four hours but no longer! Strain the soaked raw cashews and blend them with the passata for the sauce together until smooth. Set aside.

6. When ready to cook, heat the ghee or oil in your slow cooker using the sauté/searing mode or in a pan over a medium–high heat. When it begins to bubble lightly, remove as much of the marinade from the chicken as you can and retain all the marinade. Sauté the chicken in one layer for about five to seven minutes to lightly char the exterior. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point.

7. Now stir in the blended onions and fry for about five minutes to cook out the raw flavour. Then stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for an additional minute. Stir in the chilli powder or paprika, cumin, ground coriander and sugar, then pour in the blended passata and cashews and bring to a simmer. Stir in the chicken and all the marinade. Bring back to a simmer.

8. In your slow cooker, put on the lid and cook for three hours on the high setting or six to eight hours on low until the chicken is cooked through.

9. Stir in the butter and let it melt into the sauce. Then add the whisked cream (you don’t have to add it all if you don’t want to).

10. Add the kasoori methi by rubbing it between your fingers over the sauce, then stir in the garam masala. Season with salt to taste just before serving.

Curry Guy Slow Cooker by Dan Toombs is published by Quadrille, priced £16.99. Photography by Kris Kirkham. Available now.