Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is a home-style meat dish at difficulty 4/5 (Advanced), about 641 kcal. This is a classic Indian curry dish featuring drumsticks roasted before stewing,. Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.

Difficulty

4 / 5

★★★★☆

Advanced
Estimated Calories

641 kcal

Ingredients

  • Chicken drumsticks (boneless)
  • Yogurt
  • Butter
  • Heavy Cream
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Cashews (for thickening)
  • Turmeric powder
  • Kashmiri red chili powder (best results; reddish color, not spicy)
  • Garam Masala (Indian spice blend)
  • Coriander powder
  • Cumin powder
  • Cardamom powder
  • Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)—Optional but strongly recommended
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Cooking oil
  • Frying pan
  • Blender/Mixer

Steps

  1. ### Marinate the Chicken (1 hour in advance)
  2. Mix yogurt, ground ginger, ground garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
  3. Add chicken pieces and coat thoroughly with the marinade.
  4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to marinate for **at least 1 hour**.
  5. ### Roast the Chicken
  6. Pour 15ml cooking oil into a fritter pan (skillet) and heat over high heat.
  7. Place the marinated chicken pieces in the pan (do **not** pour in the marinade liquid).
  8. Fry over high heat until *both sides are golden brown* (about 3 minutes per side). The chicken does not need to be fully cooked yet.
  9. Set aside.
  10. ### Make the Sauce Base
  11. Place cherry tomato pieces, onion pieces, cashews, ginger, garlic, and 100ml water in the pot.
  12. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and **boil for 15 minutes**, until *all ingredients are completely soft and mushy*.
  13. Let it cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and blend until *smooth and creamy*.
  14. Pour through a sieve (strainer) to remove any pulp, resulting in a smooth sauce. Set aside.
  15. ### Simmer
  16. Place 50g butter in a skillet and heat over medium heat until melted.
  17. Pour in the filtered tomato sauce.
  18. Add 5g red chili powder, 5g coriander powder, 3g cumin powder, and 5g salt.
  19. Stir-fry for **3-5 minutes** until the sauce darkens and oil separates on top.
  20. Add the roasted chicken pieces and mix evenly.
  21. Add 10g sugar to balance the acidity of the tomato, and stir.
  22. Pour in 100ml heavy cream and mix well.
  23. Simmer over low heat for **10-12 minutes** to ensure the chicken is fully cooked and has absorbed the sauce.
  24. Add 3g Garam Masala and 2g cardamom powder.
  25. Sprinkle 3g Kasuri Methi (crumble with hands before sprinkling) into the mixture.
  26. Mix well and turn off the heat.
  27. Serve on a plate; extra drizzle of heavy cream can be used for decoration.

Notes

This is a classic Indian curry dish featuring drumsticks roasted before stewing, paired with a sauce made of tomato, butter, and cream. The texture is rich and silky, with a sweet, sour, and slightly spicy flavor, accompanied by a unique blend of aromatic spices. Chicken, yogurt, and cashews provide rich protein and healthy fats, while tomatoes and spices also contribute vitamins and antioxidants. This dish requires a certain level of technique; mastering heat and spice balance is key, and requires about 1 hour and 45 minutes total (including marinating time).

Estimated Difficulty: ★★★★
Estimated Calories: 641 kcal

Prepare for portions: Decide how many servings you want to make. One serving is enough for 3-4 people.

Per serving:

**Chicken Marinating Part:**
- 500g chicken drumsticks (boneless, cut into large chunks)
- 80ml yogurt
- 10g ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic (approx. 12g), grated
- 5g red chili powder
- 3g turmeric powder
- 3g salt
- 15ml lemon juice
- 15ml cooking oil

**Sauce Part:**
- 5 tomatoes (approx. 500g), chopped
- 1 onion (approx. 100g), chopped
- 30g cashews
- 10g ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 50g butter
- 100ml heavy cream
- 5g red chili powder (Kashmiri chili powder is best)
- 5g coriander powder
- 3g cumin powder
- 3g Garam Masala
- 2g cardamom powder
- 3g Kasuri Methi (crumble by hand)
- 10g sugar
- 5g salt
- 100ml water

- Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) is a key ingredient for the unique flavor of this dish, giving it a distinct herbal aroma. It can be purchased at Indian grocery stores or online e-commerce platforms.
- Using Kashmiri red chili powder gives a brighter red color with lower spiciness. If unavailable, you can use half the amount of regular red chili powder and add 3g red bell pepper powder.
- Cashews are used to make the sauce thicker and smoother. If you have a nut allergy, you can substitute with an equal amount of heavy cream.
- This dish is usually served with Indian Naan (bread) or Basmati rice.
- Butter Chicken is considered one of India's greatest contributions to world cuisine, ranking near the top on menus at Indian restaurants worldwide.

If you encounter any issues or find areas for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull Request.

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