Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil (neutral oil such as canola or sunflower)
• 2 large Onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 10 pieces Red Chili (fresh, medium‑spicy; stems removed)
• 3 large Tomato (roughly chopped)
• 1 cup Cashew Nuts (raw, unsalted)
• 2 teaspoons Salt (adjust to taste)
• 3 teaspoons Ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri Red Chili Powder (mild, gives deep red color)
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• 1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed)
• 0.25 cup Fresh Coriander Leaves (chopped)
• 3 grams Khoya (unsweetened, grated)
• 3 tablespoons Milk (whole milk)
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Cream (heavy whipping cream)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar (optional, balances flavors)
• 0.5 cup Water (for adjusting gravy consistency)
• 300 grams Paneer (firm paneer, cut into 1‑inch cubes)

Instructions

1. Sauté aromatics

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a Kadai over medium heat. Add the 2 roughly chopped onions and sauté until they turn translucent, about 5‑7 minutes.

   Time: PT7M

   Temperature: medium

2. Add chilies, tomatoes and cashews

   Add 10 red chilies, 3 chopped tomatoes, 1 cup raw cashew nuts and 1 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes become soft and mushy, about 8 minutes.

   Time: PT8M

   Temperature: medium

3. Cool the cooked mixture

   Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes so it’s safe to blend.

   Time: PT5M

4. Grind to a fine paste

   Transfer the cooled mixture to a blender or mixer jar. Add a splash of water to help blending and grind until smooth.

   Time: PT2M

5. Temper spices

   Return the Kadai to medium heat. Add 3 tsp ghee and 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder. Stir quickly for 1 minute, ensuring the powder does not burn.

   Time: PT1M

   Temperature: medium

6. Combine paste with the spiced base

   Pour the ground onion‑tomato‑cashew paste into the Kadai. Add a little water (about 2‑3 tbsp) to loosen any stuck bits and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: medium

7. Add aromatics and simmer

   Stir in 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi, and the chopped coriander leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: low

8. Prepare khoya‑milk blend

   In a small bowl, combine 3 g grated khoya with 3 tbsp whole milk. Blend or whisk until a smooth paste forms (about 2 minutes).

   Time: PT2M

9. Enrich the gravy

   Add the khoya‑milk paste, 2 tbsp fresh cream, 1 tsp sugar (optional), 0.25 cup water and an additional 1 tsp salt to the simmering gravy. Mix thoroughly and cook for another 2 minutes.

   Time: PT2M

   Temperature: low

10. Finish with paneer

    Gently add 300 g paneer cubes to the sauce. Cover and cook on low flame for 10 minutes until the paneer absorbs the flavors.

    Time: PT10M

    Temperature: low

11. Serve

    Turn off the heat, garnish with a drizzle of fresh cream or extra coriander if desired, and serve hot with naan, roti, or steamed rice.

    Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

425

Protein

20 g

Carbohydrates

15 g

Fat

30 g

Fiber

2 g