Watch Donal's Family Food in Minutes on RTÉ One, Wednesdays at 8:30pm.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Takes 45 minutes
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 50g butter
- Juice 1/2 lemon
For the marinade:
- 150ml plain yoghurt
- 1 large thumb sized piece of ginger, finely grated
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Sea salt and pepper
For the sauce:
- 50g butter
- 1 onion, finely grated
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large thumb sized piece of ginger, finely grated
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 4 tbsp tomato puree
- 400ml double cream
- Sea salt
To serve:
- Cooked basmati
- Fried onions
- Naan bread, to serve
Method
- Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, add the chicken and toss until completely coated. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat the oil in a large casserole over a medium heat. Add the chicken and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes until golden. Turn the chicken, adding the butter at the same time, allow to melt and cook for another 4 minutes. Baste the chicken in the butter and add the lemon juice. Remove from the pan and set aside once cooked.
- For the sauce add the butter to the casserole. When it's melted add in the onions, garlic, ginger, chilli and cardamom and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened.
- Stir through the garam masala, cumin, coriander, chilli powder and tomato puree.
- Lower the heat and stirring continuously slowly add the cream until well combined. Bring to a low simmer and season with sea salt to taste.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen roll and season with sea salt.
- To make the rice, put it into a pan with the water and some salt. Cover and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and cook for 8 minutes then turn off the heat and leave covered for 5-10 minutes then fluff with a fork.
- Serve the butter chicken with rice, onions and naan breads.
