Easy Butter Chicken

A simplified butter chicken made with the simplest ingredients, ready in just 20 minutes. Tender chicken pieces are cooked in a creamy, tomatoey sauce brimming with aromatic spices, yet it’s mild enough to be family-friendly.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
• 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 250 ml (1 cup) thickened (heavy) cream

To serve

• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
• Coriander (cilantro) sprigs
• 1 cucumber, finely sliced
• ½ red onion, finely sliced
• 1 fresh chilli (optional)
• Steamed basmati rice topped with store-bought crispy fried shallots (optional)

Method

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the chicken, garam masala, cumin, yellow mustard seeds, turmeric, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until the chicken is slightly browned.
4. Add the tomato paste and cream and stir to combine. Cook for 8 minutes more.
5. Serve with plain yoghurt, coriander, cucumber, red onion and chilli (if using) with steamed basmati rice, topped with crispy-fried shallots if you like.

Tips

• Can be cooked and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
• Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Freezing may cause the cream to separate but the flavour will still be amazing.
• Swap mustard seeds for mustard powder, or omit if preferred.