Butter Chicken: creamy Indian chicken

Cut the chicken breasts into large bite-size pieces for the butter chicken marinade. In a bowl mix them with yogurt, half the pressed garlic, half the grated ginger, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, turmeric, half the ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika and salt.

Let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes so the spices and yogurt are well absorbed and the chicken stays juicy after searing.

Heat the olive oil with half of the butter in a large pan and sear the marinated chicken over high heat on all sides for about 5 to 6 minutes until sealed and lightly golden. Then remove it and set aside.

Add the remaining butter to the same pan, add the finely chopped onion, and saute it over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and lightly golden.

Stir in the remaining garlic and ginger and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, remaining sweet paprika, hot paprika, remaining ground cumin and remaining garam masala and stir for about 1 minute.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes and add the sugar. Let the sauce simmer gently for 10 minutes so the acidity mellows and the flavors combine well.

Return the seared chicken to the pan and pour in the cream. Cook over low heat for another 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is completely tender and the sauce is velvety and thick.

Rinse the basmati rice several times in cold water to remove excess starch so it stays fluffy after cooking.

In a pot, cover it with about twice the amount of water and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, then cook covered over very low heat for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the cooked rice from the heat, let it rest covered for another 5 minutes, and finally fluff it with a fork.

Divide the Butter Chicken onto plates alongside a portion of hot basmati rice and sprinkle each serving with chopped cilantro.

Serve immediately so the sauce stays beautifully creamy and the rice remains fluffy and hot.