Seema Pankhania’s Butter Chicken
This rich and spicy butter chicken recipe from Seema Pankhania, with its creamy tomato sauce and tender marinated chicken thighs, offers a deeply flavourful twist on the traditional dish, perfect for a satisfying meal served with naan and rice.
Introduction
Of all the recipes I’ve ever cooked, this one holds a special place in my heart, and for good reason. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill creamy, mildly sweet butter chicken. The sauce is rich, and it’s got a kick that will wake you up a bit. It doesn’t really fit the traditional butter chicken mould, and there isn’t a cashew in sight, but that’s what makes it so special. This recipe has left an indelible mark on my life and culinary journey, and it’s easily what I’ve become best known for, so naturally it was a must-have in this book.
Ingredients
| For the marinade: | |
|---|---|
| 150g | plain full-fat yoghurt (must be full-fat!) |
| juice of ½ a lemon | |
| 1 tsp | red chilli powder |
| ½ tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 1 tsp | ground coriander |
| ½ tsp | garam masala |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| 800g | boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces |
| For the garlic, ginger and chilli paste: | |
| 10 cloves of | garlic, minced or grated |
| A piece of | ginger, minced or grated |
| 6 | green chillies, minced or grated |
| For the curry: | |
| 150g | butter or ghee |
| 1 large | onion, finely chopped |
| 1 | star anise |
| 1 | cinnamon stick (optional) |
| 3–4 | cloves (optional) |
| ½ tsp | cumin seeds |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 1 tsp | garam masala |
| 1 tsp | ground coriander |
| 1 tsp | salt (to taste) |
| 3 tbsp | tomato purée |
| 1 x 400g tin of | chopped tomatoes |
| 2 tsp | red chilli powder |
| 250ml | double cream |
| 2 tbsp | dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) (optional) |
| juice of ½ a lemon | |
| A small handful of | fresh coriander |
Method
Preheat the grill to the highest setting. Mix together the garlic/ginger/chilli paste ingredients in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients, and stir in half the garlic/ginger/ chilli paste. Add the chicken and mix well. If you are making this ahead you can now cover and leave in the fridge until the next day. If not, carry on as below.
Place the marinated chicken on an oven tray and grill until it’s charred, about 5–6 minutes on each side. It doesn’t need to cook through at this stage.
In a large pan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Once it’s melted, add the finely chopped onions along with the optional star anise, the cinnamon stick, cloves and cumin seeds. Cook the onions for about 10 minutes, until they turn golden and caramelized. Then add the rest of the garlic/ginger/chilli paste, the ground spices, salt and the tomato purée. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the tomato purée separates from the oil.
Add the tinned tomatoes and cook for 15–20 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the oil separates from the tomato mixture, creating a rich sauce.
Add the grilled chicken, along with any cooking liquid. Stir in the double cream and add the dried fenugreek leaves, if using. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through.
Squeeze in the juice of ½ a lemon, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with rice and naan bread.
NOTE → Don’t stress about the whole spices – they’re optional. If you’ve got them, toss ’em in. But there’s no need to make a special trip to the store. What’s important, though, is to use good-quality chilli powder from the international foods aisle at your local supermarket. It really makes a difference!
VARIATION – MAKE IT VEGGIE → Swap the chicken and yoghurt for 400g of paneer and 50g of cornflour. Toss it with the same spices until well coated, then lift individual pieces of tofu into the pan and pan-fry it until it’s deliciously golden. Add it to the dish at the same point you’d include the chicken.
SERVING IDEA → Serve this with buttered naan, a side of rice, and some sliced red onions tossed in a lemon dressing.
LEFTOVERS → Make a quick little butter chicken toastie by layering cheese, green chutney and leftover curry between two slices of bread and toasting until golden.
Reviews
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