Name: Butter Chicken: Indian Chicken in Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 35 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 175 g chicken breast; 37.5 g Greek yogurt; 1 clove garlic; 5 g ginger; 0.5 teaspoon garam masala; 0.25 teaspoon turmeric; 0.25 teaspoon cumin; 0.5 teaspoon sweet paprika; 0.125 teaspoon hot paprika; 0.25 teaspoon salt; 15 g butter; olive oil; 0.25 pcs onion; 0.5 tablespoon tomato paste; 100 g tomatoes; 50 ml cream; 0.25 teaspoon caster sugar; coriander; 75 g basmati rice; 0.375 l water; 0.25 teaspoon salt

Step by step process

Chicken and Sauce

1
Cut the chicken breasts into large bite-size pieces and in a bowl mix them with the yogurt, half of the pressed garlic, half of the finely grated ginger, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, the turmeric, half of the ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, and salt.
TIP:
A yogurt marinade tenderizes meat and helps it hold onto seasonings better. Mix thick yogurt with aromatics and spices, let the meat rest in it for a while, then sear it over high heat so it stays juicy.
2
Let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes so the spices and yogurt are well absorbed and the chicken stays juicy after searing.
3
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.
4
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.
5
Stir in the remaining garlic and ginger and cook briefly until fragrant, then add the tomato paste, the remaining sweet paprika, the hot paprika, the remaining ground cumin, and the remaining garam masala, and stir everything for about 1 minute.
TIP:
Briefly warm whole spices in hot fat over low heat, just until they become fragrant. This releases their essential oils and helps the flavor spread more evenly throughout the dish. Be careful not to burn the spices, or they will turn bitter.
6
Pour in the chopped tomatoes, add the sugar, and let the sauce simmer gently for 10 minutes so the acidity of the tomatoes mellows and the flavors combine well.
7
Return the seared chicken to the pan, pour in the cream, and cook over low heat for another 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is completely tender and the sauce is velvety and thick.

Rice

8
Rinse the basmati rice several times in cold water to remove excess starch so it stays fluffy after cooking.
TIP:
Rinse the basmati several times before cooking to remove excess starch. After cooking, let it rest briefly with the lid on, then fluff it with a fork so it stays light and separate.
9
In a pot, cover it with about twice the amount of water, season lightly with salt, bring to a boil, then cook covered over very low heat for about 10 to 12 minutes.
10
Remove the cooked rice from the heat, let it rest covered for another 5 minutes, and finally fluff it with a fork.

Serving

11
Divide the Butter Chicken onto plates alongside a portion of hot basmati rice and sprinkle each serving with chopped cilantro.
12
Serve immediately so the sauce stays beautifully creamy and the rice remains fluffy and hot.