Butter Chicken

Ingredients

1. 1 kg boneless chicken skin removed
2. Juice of 1 lime
3. Salt to taste
4. 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)
5. 1 cup fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)
6. 2 tsps garam masala
7. 2 tsps coriander powder
8. 1 tsp cumin powder
9. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
10. 8-10 peppercorns
11. 6 cloves
12. 1" stick of cinnamon
13. Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom
14. 2 bay leaves
15. 8-10 almonds
16. 2 onions chopped
17. 2 tsps garlic paste
18. 1 tsp ginger paste
19. 1/2 litre chicken stock
20. 3 tbsps vegetable/canola/snflower cooking oil
21. 3 tbsps butter
22. Salt to taste
23. Coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation

• Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a bowl and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
• Roast the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly and then grind into a coarse powder.
• Mix the yoghurt, whole spice powder and all the other spices together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.
• Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry till golden brown and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
• Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till sealed (chicken will turn opaque).
• Now add the chicken stock and remaining part of the mix to the chicken.
• Cook till the chicken is done and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
• Melt the butter and pour it over the chicken.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with naans and Kaali Daal.
• For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: Heat a briquette of coal till red hot and when the dish is done, put the coal in the pan and cover immediately. Remove just before serving.