Indian Buttered Chicken

This rich, creamy dish was my first introduction to Indian food. 

Love at first bite. 

Hearty, warming and delicious for the evenings that are fast looming. 

Perfect for a weekend treat. 

Ingredients: 

Chicken Marinade: 

3 large chicken breasts 

2 tbsp lemon juice 

1 tbsp garam masala 

5cm piece of ginger 

2 garlic cloves 

Sauce:

2 tbsp olive oil 

2 large onions 

2 garlic cloves 

2 tbsp garam masala 

1 tbsp coriander seed 

1 teasp. cumin 

1 teasp. chilli powder 

1 teasp. turmeric

1 tin of chopped tomatoes 

220ml coconut milk 

1 lemon

50g butter

Salt & pepper 

Coriander & lemon rind to garnish 

Preparation: Combine all the marinade ingredients (lemon juice, garlic cloves, ginger and garam masala) together with the chicken in a zip lock bag. 

*I only let mine marinate for about 30minutes at room temp. but it is better if you have time to marinade over night. 

Peel and thinly slice the onions into half rings. 

Heat the olive oil and gently fry the onions for 5-6minutes. Do not let them brown. 

In a pestle and mortar grind down the coriander seeds to a fine powder. 

Once the onions have softened, add in the finely chopped garlic, ground coriander, garam masala, cumin, chilli powder and turmeric. Cook for 1-2minutes to allow flavours to develop. 

Add in the tomatoes and let them to come to a gentle simmer. 

Pour in the coconut milk. 

Blend the tomato sauce using a hand held blender to get a smooth sauce. 

Add in the lemon juice and season to taste. 

Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and add in the marinated chicken. 

*Make sure the sauce does not boil while you are cooking the chicken as it will cause the meat to toughen.*

Add in the butter and coriander. 

Garnish with a little lemon rind on top to add extra freshness to the dish. 

Serve with some basmati rice, poppadoms and cucumber raita for a loving comfort food dish.