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Spicy Butter Chicken

4–6 servings3 hrs 35 mins

Fork-tender charred chicken in a deeply spiced, velvety tomato reduction, finished with smoked butter and fenugreek.

Ingredients

Chicken
Gravy
Tadka

Instructions

Chicken
1. Apply the first marinade | 20 mins
  • Toss
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs
    cut into 3–4 cm chunks, 800 g
     with
    Lemon juice
    1 tbsp
    ,
    Kashmiri red chili powder
    1 tsp
     and
    Salt
    1 tsp
    .
  • Rest for 20 minutes to open up the meat.
2. Apply the second marinade | 2 hrs
  • Stir in
    Plain hung or Greek yogurt
    120 ml
    ,
    Ginger-garlic paste
    1 tbsp
    ,
    Spicy red chili powder
    1 tsp
    ,
    Garam masala
    1 tsp
    ,
    Mustard oil
    1 tbsp
    or neutral oil with 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
     and
    Kasuri methi
    1 tbsp
    .
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight.
3. Char and rest | 20 mins
  • Preheat your oven to maximum heat, around 240°C (fan 220°C), or use a broiler.
  • Place the chicken on a wire rack over a tray and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges char.
  • Let the meat rest on the rack for 5 to 7 minutes so the juices redistribute instead of bleeding into the sauce.
Chicken & Gravy
1. Execute the bhunao | 25 mins
  • In a heavy pot, melt
    Ghee
    2 tbsp
     over medium heat.
  • Sauté
    Ginger-garlic paste
    1 tbsp
     for 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Add
    Chopped fresh Roma tomatoes
    1 kg
    ,
    Raw cashews
    soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, 75 g
    ,
    Indian green finger chilies
    slit down the middle, 4–5
    ,
    Kashmiri red chili powder
    1½ tsp
     and
    Spicy red chili powder
    ½ tsp
    .
  • Cook until the water completely evaporates and the fat visually separates, pooling at the edges of the deep red paste.
2. Blend and strain | 10 mins
  • Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
  • Blend until completely smooth, adding a splash of warm water if the blades catch.
  • Push the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pot for a flawless velvet texture.
3. Emulsify the sauce | 10 mins
  • Bring the strained sauce to a very gentle simmer.
  • Add the rested chicken and cook for 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Drop the heat to the absolute lowest setting.
  • Whisk in
    Cubed cold unsalted butter
    60 g
     one cube at a time, followed by
    Heavy cream
    60 ml
    , ensuring the sauce does not boil and split.
  • Season with
    Salt
    to taste
    .
4. Activate the methi | 1 min
  • Lightly toast
    Kasuri methi
    1 tbsp
     in a dry pan for 30 seconds.
  • Crush it vigorously between your palms directly into the pot to release the volatile oils.
5. Smoke with dhungar method | 5 mins
  • Place a small metal bowl in the center of the curry.
  • Heat
    Natural hardwood charcoal
    1 piece
     until red-hot, place it in the bowl, drop a spoonful of ghee on the coal, and tightly cover the pot for exactly 3 minutes.
  • Remove the bowl and coal.
Gravy & Tadka
1. Apply the final tadka | 2 mins
  • In a separate small pan, heat
    Ghee
    1 tbsp
     until shimmering.
  • Briefly flash-fry
    Fresh ginger
    4 slices
     and
    Kashmiri red chili powder
    ½ tsp
     for exactly 5 seconds.
  • Immediately pour this infused fat over the finished curry.

Tips & Notes

  • Blending: If the paste gets stuck in the blender, add warm water a tablespoon at a time; do not use cold water as it seizes the fat.
  • Sieving: Use a silicone spatula to aggressively press the blended sauce through the mesh, and do not forget to scrape the thick puree off the underside.