Butter Chicken Masala with Tomato Cream Sauce
Tender chicken pieces braised in a fragrant spiced tomato and cream sauce. Chicken is seared, then simmered with garam masala, cardamom, cinnamon, and canned tomatoes before pureeing the base. The sauce finishes with honey and sour cream, served with fresh cilantro and rice.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast, cut into pieces
- 2 clove garlic, pressed
- ginger, cut into small pieces
- 2 chilli pepper, chopped finely
- cardamom, seeds crushed
- 4 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- cinnamon, ground
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 ¼ lb tomato, canned with juicefresh tomato1:1 by weightproduces
requires longer cooking
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 7 tbsp sour cream
- salt, to taste(optional)
- 1 handful cilantro, fresh leaves
- rice
Instructions
- 1
Cut chicken breast into pieces
- 2
Press garlic, cut ginger into small pieces, chop chillies finely, and crush cardamom seeds
- 3
Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a deep pan and sear chicken on all sides for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside
- 4
In the same pan, toast cardamom, garam masala, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fenugreek until fragrant
- 5
Add pressed garlic, pour in canned tomatoes with juice, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
- 6
Puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth
- 7
In a wide pot, heat 2 tablespoons ghee and briefly sear ginger with chillies
- 8
Stir in sweet paprika, add tomato base and chicken, cover and braise until tender, about 20 minutes. Add water as needed
- 9
Once chicken is tender, stir in honey and sour cream. Season with salt and heat through
- 10
Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and rice
Tips
Crush cardamom seeds just before using for maximum fragrance
Pureeing the tomato base creates a silky, restaurant-quality sauce
Do not skip the initial searing of chicken to develop color and flavor
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight container up to 3 days. Freezes well for up to 2 months.
Prepare through the puree step up to 1 day ahead. Finish with honey and cream before serving.
Serve hot with steamed or basmati rice. Accompany with naan or yogurt.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip pureeing the tomato base to avoid grainy texture
Do not add sour cream before chicken is tender to avoid curdling
Do not omit the initial searing to avoid pale, flavorless chicken
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
requires longer cooking