Butter Chicken - Indian. A guaranteed winner.

This butter chicken recipe is really lovely. Despite the multitude of spices it is not hot in flavour at all. It is very mild in fact. Whenever I cook this dish I get loads of genuine compliments. I hope you do too. Make sure when you process the cashew nuts you pulverise then until the are fine.. fine.. fine!

What you will need:

125ml (1/2 cup) natural yoghurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1kg chicken breast fillets, chopped

125g cashews, roasted

60g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoon sweet paprika

425g can tomato puree – do not use tomato paste as it is too salty.

150ml chicken stock

250ml thickened cream

Putting it all together

• Combine yoghurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chilli, cumin, ginger and garlic in a bowl. Add chicken and stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Reserve half the cashews and place remaining cashews in a food processor. Process until finely ground.
• Heat the butter and oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Reduce heat to low.
• Add chicken and marinade, paprika, tomato puree, cashew powder and stock. Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir in cream and cook for a further 10 minutes.
• Garnish with cashews, chopped coriander and serve with basmati rice.

HINT: Best made the day before.