Chai Time: Butter Chicken

Step 1

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot on high heat. Add the oil.

Step 2

When oil is very hot, almost smoking, add the cumin seeds. Let them sputter until they darken a bit in color. Drop one seed in to check the temperature of the oil. If it doesn’t wiggle and start darkening in color, the oil isn’t hot enough.Add the diced onion and chopped green chili. Add a pinch of salt, this will help to pull the water out of the onion so they cook and brown faster.

Step 3

Cook the onion and green chili on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring very often to prevent them from sticking.

Step 4

Add the chopped bell pepper and continue cooking on medium-high heat until the onions are completely brown. This is the most important step in building deep flavor, do not rush it. The onions are cooked when they are about 1/5th of the original volume and are golden brown. Not sure? Keep going!

Step 5

Add the ginger-garlic paste, mix in well, and cook for a minute.

Step 6

Add the turmeric powder, mix.

Step 7

Turn the heat to medium and add the kashmiri chili powder, coriander, and cumin. Mix in well.Add the crushed tomato, hot water and salt. Mix in well.

Step 8

Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring every 4-5 minutes, for 30 minutes. Be careful, the crushed tomato has a tendency to blast out of the pot like molten lava as it cooks and thickens. Keep the lid on and lower the heat while you mix it to avoid burning yourself.

Step 9

Remove the pot from the heat and, with an immersion blender, carefully blend the sauce until completely smooth. No immersion blender? Let the sauce cool a bit, puree it in a standard blender, and pour it back into the pot.

Step 10

Add the jaggery, garam masala, kasturi methi, heavy cream, and butter.

Step 11

Put the pot back on medium heat, cover, and let it simmer.

Step 12

Heat a large non-stick skillet on high heat.

Step 13

Add a little oil and, once hot, carefully add just enough chicken to fill the pan without piling any of the chicken on top of itself.

Step 14

Let the chicken sear for 2-3 minutes, then mix the chicken and continue to saute for another 2 minutes or until cooked.

Step 15

Add the chicken into the simmering sauce and repeat until all chicken is cooked.

Step 16

Add the chicken into the simmering sauce and repeat until all chicken in cooked.

Step 17

Taste for salt and sweetness.Garnish with a few picked cilantro leaves or lightly-toasted cashew halves and serve piping hot with basmati rice or naan