Ingredients

• 500 g chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
• 150 ml cream
• Fresh cilantro for garnish
• Salt to taste

Marinade

• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chili powder
• Salt to taste

Method

1. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder and salt. Add the chicken cubes and let it marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in the refrigerator for optimal flavor.
2. Heat half of the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and fry until the pieces are golden and almost cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the remaining butter and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion until the onions are soft and golden.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
5. Stir the cream into the tomato sauce and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the fried chicken back to the pan, and let everything simmer for a further 10–15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender.
6. Season with salt and, if desired, more chili.
7. Serve your Butter Chicken garnished with fresh cilantro, and enjoy it with steamed rice or naan bread.

Vegetarian variation with paneer

For a vegetarian version of this butter chicken recipe, you can replace the chicken with 500 g paneer, an Indian fresh cheese, cut into cubes. Otherwise follow the recipe as described, but fry the paneer pieces until they are golden and slightly crispy before adding them to the sauce.