Step 1

Wash and pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl. Add all the Chicken ingredients, stir to mix well. Cover and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or best overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large wok or a pan. Transfer the chicken and the marinade to the wok or pan. Cook on medium-high heat until the liquid has dried up and the chicken turns brown on the surface, 10-15 minutes. You can also grill the chicken.

Step 3

Transfer the chicken to a clean platter. The chicken can be cooked a day in advance.

Step 4

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and add the green cardamoms, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaf and cinnamon. Sauté the spices for 30-40 seconds. Add the ginger and garlic paste; stir fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and jalapeno with 1/2 cup of the water. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low, simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and start to break down. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

Step 5

Remove all the whole spices (cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and black pepper) and discard. Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender and puree it to become a sauce.

Step 6

Transfer the sauce to a clean pan, add the ketchup, sugar, red chili powder, salt and dried fenugreek leaves and the remaining water. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes on low heat. Stirring occasionally. Now add the butter, stir and simmer on the lowest heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce starts to bubble. Add a little bit more water if the sauce is too thick.

Step 7

Add the cooked chicken and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the butter chicken from the heat, top with chopped cilantro and heavy cream. Serve immediately with naan bread or rice.